Tender asparagus & broccoli, mint, harissa & curds

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 a bunch of asparagus (175g)
• 1/2 a head of broccoli (175g)
• Olive oil
• 1 potato (175g)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 teaspoons harissa
• 4 free-range eggs
• 2 tablespoons cottage cheese
• 2 sprigs of fresh mint
• extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

1. Boil the kettle. Put a 28cm frying pan on a medium-high heat. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus, then finely slice the stalks, leaving the tips whole. Trim and finely chop the broccoli stalk, breaking the florets into small bite-size pieces. Place all the stalks in the pan with a little drizzle of olive oil, stirring regularly.
2. Peel the potato, cut into matchsticks and add to the pan, then peel, finely slice and add the garlic. Fry for 5 minutes, then go in with 1 teaspoon of harissa and 300ml of boiling kettle water.
3. Let it bubble and reduce until 1/2 cm of liquid is left in the pan. Season to perfection, then gently drop in the broccoli florets, pop the lid on and cook for 3 minutes. Add the asparagus tips, then make gaps and crack in the eggs.
4. Cook covered on a medium heat for 3 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Dollop over the cottage cheese spoon over the remaining harissa, pick or tear over the mint leaves, then finish with a pinch of black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Great with wholemeal toast, for dunking.

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Aubergine, mint, pickled chillies, feta & flatbreads

Serves 8 with leftover meat

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 2kg leg of higher-welfare lamb, bone in
• 50g dukkah
• 4 cloves of garlic
• olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• 4 aubergines (250g each)
• 100g barrel-aged feta cheese
• 1 x 300g jar of pickled green chillies
• extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large flatbreads
• 1 bunch of mint (30g)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to full whack (240°C).
2. Use a large sharp knife to slice through the lamb at 2cm intervals, going right down to the bone. Crush the dukkah in a pestle and mortar until fine, then peel and pound in the garlic. Loosen with 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and red wine vinegar, then rub the mixture all over the lamb, getting into all those cuts.
3. Prick the whole aubergines and place in a large roasting tray on the bottom of the oven, sitting the lamb directly on the bars above. Roast for 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in the pestle and mortar, smash the feta into a paste, then muddle in a splash each of feta brine and liquor from the pickled chilli jar, with enough water to make a smooth, spoonable sauce. Decant into a cute jug, add a pinch of black pepper and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, if you like.
5. When the time’s up, sit the lamb on a large plate to rest—it will be gnarly on the outside but beautifully blushing in the middle. Roughly chop the soft aubergines on a large board. Transfer the tray to the hob and stir in a good splash of water until reduced, scraping up any sticky bits, then carefully pour the liquor into a small jug, to serve.
6. Splash a little of the liquor on to the flatbreads and heat them for a few minutes on the oven shelves, while you tear the mint leaves over the aubergine. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon each of extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, mix well, season to perfection and spread across the board. Sit the lamb on top, pouring any resting juices into the jug of liquor.
7. Serve with the pickled chillies, toasted flatbreads, feta sauce and liquor, for drizzling.

Fresh spinach & hazelnut pesto, asparagus & olives

Serves 2 with leftover pesto

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cloves of garlic
• olive oil
• 400g potato gnocchi
• 20g blanched hazelnuts
• 100g baby spinach
• extra virgin olive oil
• 20g Parmesan cheese
• 1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes
• 250g asparagus
• 4 black olives, stone in

METHOD

1. Put a 30cm non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. Peel and finely slice the garlic and place most of it in the pan with a little drizzle of olive oil and the gnocchi. Fry for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, while you pound the remaining garlic with the hazelnuts in a large pestle and mortar.
2. Pound in the spinach (in batches, if needed), loosen with a little extra virgin olive oil, finely grate in most of the parmesan and season to perfection.
3. Scrunch the tomatoes into the pan through clean hands, and add 1/2 a tin’s worth of water. Simmer for a couple of minutes until thickened, and season to perfection.
4. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus, nestle the spears into the sauce, then cover and steam for 5 minutes, jiggling the pan occasionally. Squash and destone the olives. Serve the gnocchi and asparagus with a dollop of pesto, then tear over the olives and finely grate over the remaining Parmesan, to finish.

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Double buttercream & retro tinned mandarins

Serves 20

INGREDIENTS

• 450g soft unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 650g icing sugar
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 250g self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 75g cocoa powder
• 1 x 300g tin of mandarin segments in juice
• 150g light cream cheese

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 25cm x 30cm roasting tray and line with a sheet of damp greaseproof paper. In a food processor, blitz 250g each of butter and icing sugar, then crack in the eggs, add the flour, baking powder, 50g of cocoa, and a splash of juice from the mandarin tin, and blitz again until smooth.
2. Use a spatula to gently spoon the mixture into the tray in an even layer, and bake for 20 minutes, or until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave for 5 minutes, and lift out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, make the buttercream. In the processor, blitz the remaining 200g of butter and 400g of icing sugar until pale and fluffy, then pulse in the cream cheese, loosening with a splash of mandarin juice, if needed.
4. Drain the mandarin segments and place on kitchen paper. On a serving board, carefully cut the cool cake through the middle to give you two large flat rectangles (I like to use a bread knife and run it under the hot tap first to help get a smooth cut). Spread a third of the buttercream over one of the cakes, dot over the mandarin segments, and sit the other cake on top.
5. Trim the edges for a smart finish, if you like (you can call the offcuts chef’s treat!). Pulse the last 25g of cocoa into the remaining buttercream, and use it to decorate the top of the cake, making dips and peaks with the back of your spoon.

These dishes are featured in Jamie Oliver's new cooking show, Jamie’s One-Pan Wonders, premiering on BBC Lifestyle on Monday, February 27. The show will also be shown on StarHub channel 423, Singtel channel 255 and BBC Player. The recipes are published with permission from BBC Lifestyle.

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