After months apart, it’s finally time to celebrate the joy of getting together with friends and family over a plate of good food. In his usual style, Jamie has managed to capture the collective mood and create a collection of easy, flavourful recipes fit for your next gathering, big or small. Continuing on from his latest television show, Keep Cooking & Carry On, Together prioritises preparation to minimise time spent in the kitchen, and maximise time spent at the dinner table with loved ones. With 18 set menus designed for a whole host of occasions, Together will take the stress out of planning a dinner party, inspire you with dishes for a last minute get together, and help you mix and match flavours like a pro. It wasn’t hard for us to find a group of volunteers who were more than ready to give a few favourite recipes from the book a whirl. Scroll down to find out how they got on.
From the book
Together: Memorable Meals, Made Easy
Rediscover the joy of being together with 120 easy recipes for gatherings big and small
Find complete menus for every occasion with mix and match dishes
From summery feasts to winter comfort food, steak nights to picnics
Buy From
Who: Ella Watkins – Senior Publicity Manager, Penguin Michael Joseph
What I made: Seafood Parcels and Rainbow Slaw
What I thought: This is the perfect recipe for a dinner party – easy to prepare, looks impressive and tastes delicious. As Jamie explains in the book, you can do most of the work ahead of time, like making your different sauces and grating all the vegetables for the slaw. Then, all you need to do is assemble the parcels and pop in the oven for 15 minutes.
Who: Sophie Shaw – Marketing Executive, Penguin Michael Joseph
What I made: Tangerine Dream Cake
What I thought: This was such a tasty cake and so easy to make. You basically just mix all the ingredients together at once, which is my kind of baking! The tangerine zest and juice gave it a really nice citrus flavour, but because the recipe used ground almonds and honey, it wasn’t too sweet. The recipe also suggested I use a bundt tin, but as I didn’t have one, I just made it in a regular cake tin which worked fine. Although, it did look slightly less impressive than Jamie’s! I would definitely make this again for a summery dinner party dessert you can prep ahead.
Who: Sophie Raoufi – Marketing Executive, Page Turners
What I made: Crispy Duck Traybake
What I thought: My partner and I made the duck traybake and it was delicious, with probably the best gravy I’ve ever made! The only thing I would say is that we added in more potatoes to make the meal more hearty, but we’ll definitely be adding it to our regular roasts.
Who: Amy Davies – Jamie Oliver Brand Manager, Penguin Michael Joseph
What I made: Yoghurt Panna Cotta
What I thought: I have a huge sweet tooth and this recipe didn’t disappoint! It was a really easy but delicious dessert, and the elderflower soaked strawberries complimented the creamy panna cotta perfectly. You could also have lots of fun with how you serve it up – in cute bowls, tea cups or glasses – so it’s a perfect one if you’re hosting dinner for friends or family.
Who: Ellie Hughes – Head of PR, Penguin Michael Joseph
What I made: Bloody Mary Crumpets
What I thought: This recipe wasn’t too technically taxing, but it was really fun to make and looked impressive once put together. I wouldn’t have thought of having anything more than marmite on a crumpet so I was intrigued to try this, and loved the fresh flavours. I also tested the whisky pairing as suggested, as it would have been rude not to! Overall review – delicious, and would recommend.
