Jamie Oliver's fresh cookbook, 5 Ingredients Mediterranean, is all about embracing the Mediterranean diet with its easy recipes and exciting flavours. Jamie spills the beans on what inspired the book, his love for Mediterranean food, and how his travels shaped it all. He's all about making Mediterranean cooking accessible to everyone with just five ingredients – super doable! Jamie also lets us in on how he comes up with his yummy recipes and hints at some cool stuff coming in 2024.
What’s so special about your new book 5 Ingredients Mediterranean?
5 Ingredients Mediterranean is a real celebration of one of the most loved and respected diets in the world – think big-hitting hero flavours, stripped-back methods and clever hacks, all translated through the 5-ingredient lens for easy everyday cooking. So, if you want to get simple, incredible food on the table without copious amounts of ingredients, long shopping lists or a whole load of washing-up, this is the book for you. I’m really proud of this one – it’s everything people loved about the first 5 Ingredients and more.
5 Ingredients sold over three million copies; what made you want to write another?
In short, Jools badgered me! The original 5 Ingredients is the book that Jools has used the most – she’s gone through it top-to-tail – and has asked me every year since to do another one. Although I’m not one to repeat a scenario usually (I tend to move on), she wore me down.
If I’ve got 5 Ingredients, why do I need 5 Ingredients Mediterranean?
There are over 125 delicious, easy recipes that celebrate Mediterranean ingredients, flavours and combos; with the spirit and simplicity of the original book at the heart of each one. Think beautiful salads, out-of-this-world pastas and a whole load of gorgeous veggie, meat and seafood dishes. There’s something for every day of the week, and every occasion, so you’ll find some tasty sweet treats in there, too. Plus, 65 percent of the recipes are meat-free or meat-reduced, and all of them are utterly delicious!
What would you like people to take from it?
The first book really resonated with beginner cooks, provided inspiration for foodies and easy wins for the time-poor as well as delicious, big-flavour food for the whole family … so I’ve really tried to tap into that again. I hope it helps you out, I hope you love the recipes as much as I do, and I hope it transports you to the beyond-beautiful Mediterranean.
“I listen very hard to what people are excited, scared, annoyed, or frustrated by, and try to write solutions in food.”
TRY THE RECIPE >> Herby Steak & Crispy Potatoes with green pesto, juicy mixed-colour tomato salad & crushed pistachios
What inspired you to cook The Mediterranean?
A lot of my adult life has been spent travelling around The Mediterranean. In a quest to keep things fresh and inspiring, the TV show that accompanies this book takes us to some incredible places around The Med, full of such diverse culture and truly extraordinary flavours. I hope you get a real sense of the countries, cities and islands that I’ve been to, both recently and also throughout my travels over the past 25 years.
How come we never fall out of love with Mediterranean cooking?
It’s one of the most cherished and admired diets in the world, where simplicity, love, passion, care and dedication to taste are at its heart. The Med is a beautiful and diverse area, consisting of at least 22 countries (although other countries swear they are part of it!), and different as they all are, they have the sea and all its wonders in common. So, I’ve really tried to scatter these recipes to as many parts as I can with the amazing experiences I’ve had in The Med.
Where did the inspiration for this book come from? What is your favourite recipe in the book and why?
In a post-Covid world, I really wanted to travel, to see and explore, and The Med felt the nearest and dearest; as well as healthy. It also lends itself to the simplicity of 5 ingredients, with its wealth of beautiful ingredients. When it comes to favourite recipes, I’m really into the Tunisian, Greek-Cypriot, Turkish and Moroccan-inspired pastas – they’re exciting and accessible. I realised I’d filled a whole fascinating chapter of pasta that was largely not Italian, but is truly loved in their home of origin, or inspired by the beautiful ingredients available in that place. It opened up a whole new world of flavour in terms of different cheeses and seasonings, and it was so inspiring for me.
“There’s no point in using lots of expensive or hard-to-find ingredients, or too many things that are really indulgent and bad for you. The book has to have a little bit of everything for everyone.”
TRY THE RECIPE >> Tunisian Prawn Spaghetti with fragrant rose harissa, zingy lemon & fresh parsley
How do you keep coming up with ideas that are always on trend/current?
I listen very hard to what people are excited, scared, annoyed, or frustrated by, and try to write solutions in food. I try to do it as close to printing as possible so things are on trend or relevant – it’s hard, but rewarding.
Will we see any of these recipes in your restaurants?
Yes, I think you will. They work really well for daily specials, and because 5 Ingredients is focused on simple ingredients it can be flexible to embrace the seasons. The restaurant team is already very excited about the recipes (and have sampled some at HQ!).
How do you create recipes?
My process is very unusual – every book is different. It’s a constant argument between what the readers want, what’s available in most supermarkets and markets, and the creative recipes I’m trying to write. Basically, there are three egos in the room having a scrap, and the best results are always when you find a good balance. There’s no point in using lots of expensive or hard-to-find ingredients, or too many things that are really indulgent and bad for you. The book has to have a little bit of everything for everyone – it can’t be too technically frightening for people who don’t cook much. All in all, it’s a very emotional, complicated creative process – it’s hard to explain, but I can assure you that I take it really seriously. I really care and want people to be inspired and grow their skills so they go on to live happier, healthier lives. It’s not just about making a pretty-looking cookbook – there’s so much more that goes into it.
Have you started thinking about the next book? What can we expect for releases to come?
Now, that would be telling! I can say that I’m already working on a new book for 2024, which I’m really excited about – watch this space.
5 Ingredients Mediterranean by Jamie Oliver is out now.
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