Jamie Oliver: Why you should buy fresh British fruit and veg this festive season

It’s why, as a family on Christmas Eve, they will always remember to put mince pies and carrots out for Santa Claus, decorate the tree, make the most of their time together and eat great food – especially the seasonal vegetables from their garden – and Oliver wants everyone else to do the same.

Jamie started cooking at his parents’ pub, The Cricketers, in Clavering, Essex, at the age of eight. After leaving school he began a career as a chef that took him to the celebrated River Café, where he was famously spotted by a television producer, and the Naked Chef was born.

The Naked Chef premiered on BBC Two in 1999.

During his 25-year television and publishing career, Jamie has sold over 50 million books worldwide, and his TV series are watched by millions of people around the globe.

As a result, he’s inspired a generation to enjoy cooking fresh, delicious food from scratch, publishing 28 best-selling cookery books, all with accompanying TV shows.

And Jamie is back this festive season with two Christmas episodes of Jamie Cooks Christmas on Channel 4.

In these episodes, Oliver will make his best-yet party feast and an alternative Christmas dinner, including crispy porchetta instead of turkey, cheesy Brussels sprouts pie and Christmas cauliflower lasagne.

It will also be the cookbook author’s final time cooking in the kitchen this year, so the series will also feature a variety of delicious seasonal recipes that will inspire people this Christmas, from sticky toffee coffee pudding to smoked trout pâté and red cabbage slaw.

But before Oliver rounds off the year, he talks about Christmas traditions, his favourite seasonal vegetables, how to make the best roast potatoes, and how to shop for your Christmas dinner on a budget and avoid the stresses that usually come with it. For Oliver, Christmas starts now.

Cooking Christmas dinner can be stressful, so what’s his advice to take the pressure off?

”Planning ahead is absolutely key for a stress-less Christmas. You can make delicious food that will surprise and amaze your guests, without the chaos. My mulled wine pear pavlova looks super extravagant, but all the elements can be made ahead and assembled at the last minute," says Oliver.

“My smoked trout pâté can also be made ahead, and I’ve given it a bit of a twist this year, by serving it with a super-fresh red cabbage slaw and a giant Yorkshire pudding – it’s phenomenal and will absolutely wow everyone around the table.”

Oliver says throughout the show (which can be found on My4) he tries to give as many pointers as possible to show viewers which elements can be made ahead of time.

"This will make all the difference to your Christmas cooking, so you can enjoy the day a whole lot more,” he says.

He also has advice for those on a tight budget this festive season.

"Buy British fruit and veg that’s in season,” he says.

"They’ve not had to travel across continents to get to the shop or market, so I’d really recommend looking around to see what you can find.

"If you can’t afford pork loin for my festive porchetta, then you can absolutely use pork belly and get the same delicious results.

“I’m also a big fan of using up my cheeseboard in lasagnes, pastas, sandwiches and toasties, and not wasting a thing – my cheesy cauliflower lasagne is big enough to feed a crowd, with layers of lovely veg, silky pasta, bubbling cheesy white sauce and bombs of blue cheese.”

So what is his favourite seasonal vegetable at Christmas ?

“We often think of winter as a bleak time for the British garden, but it really isn’t. Root vegetables, from potatoes to parsnips, celeriac to beets to Brussels sprouts are at their best right now. Red cabbage is the king of Christmas veg – I love to grill, roast, caramelise, braise or slice it into a super-fresh slaw, like I do in the show.

“Then there are wonderful winter leaves, like different kales, chards and rocket, which naturally taste more bitter in winter, and I love when contrasted with sweet, zingy flavours. I serve my hot and oozy Christmas cracker cheese parcels with a winter salad, tossed with a bright clementine dressing.

"That’s the beauty of cooking the seasons – there’s always such a spectrum of flavour, it’s just about looking for the opportunities.

“Root veg often gets a bad rep, but it’s incredible – parsnips are one of my favourites – and I share plenty of tips to get the most out of this wonderful veg. My Hasselback root veg is an epic example of this. Slicing them Hasselback-style and roasting them not only makes them super crisp and gnarly, but it also helps them to take on whatever seasonings, rubs or marinades you put on them – it really ramps things up on the flavour front.”

And he has some top tips for the perfect roast potatoes.

“I’m always looking for ways to make my roasties just that little bit better every year,” says Jamie.

"I like to gently half-squash my potatoes when they’ve been in the oven for an hour or so – it’s game-changing how crispy they get.

"This year, I’m going to parboil my spuds in chicken stock – it makes them taste even better. I’d really recommend it. Plus, you can use that lovely starchy stock to make your gravy – win-win.”

While he loves a traditional Christmas with family, Jamie says he also likes to try new things.

"I love tradition, but it’s exciting to introduce something a little bit different to the festive table, whether it’s a twist on something familiar or an entirely new take on a classic,” he says.

And what about pudding? Dies he go for traditional Christmas Pudding or something different?

“My sticky toffee coffee pudding is the lovechild of my favourite dessert in the world, sticky toffee pudding, and a coffee and walnut cake – it’s a gorgeous bouncy sponge, drowned in a fudgy coffee caramel sauce.

“I’ve also given the traditional turkey a run for its money with my festive porchetta. Porchetta is an Italian roast pork loin, which I’ve packed with herby onion and pancetta stuffing, rolled it up and roasted it. It’s off the charts.”

But what about the vegetarians?

"I always like to have a vegetarian main, so I’ve put together a chestnut Brussels sprouts pie,” says Jamie.

"Mighty Brussels sprouts and three different cheeses, packed into a homemade chestnut pastry and topped with nutty breadcrumbs – utterly luxurious.”

Jamie Cooks Christmas can be found on My4.