Shot in shabby chic LOFT, at jj Perseverance, Jamie Oliver‘s Ultimate Christmas aired on Monday on Channel 4, and I’m sure we weren’t the only ones drooling over the TV as Jamie showed us how to cook up Christmas like a pro.
As well as festive food, LOFT was decked out with twinkly lights and baubles aplenty, with the iconic, distressed wall as the backdrop for the Oliver’s mock-Christmas day.
LOFT’s (or should I say Jamie’s) versatile kitchen was customised with rustic wooden shelving, printed artwork and family photos as viewers were talked through the ‘three foundations of Christmas’, Jamie style: turkey, gravy and roast potatoes (although we all know that pigs in blankets are the true Christmas staple).
Each dish was ‘thrown’ together with Jamie’s signature, gung-ho style: a handful of this, a glug of that… who really has time to measure anything anyway? Especially on Christmas day.
As well as the Christmas essentials, Jamie also knocked up some cracking puddings and cocktails – This weekend I’ll be trying my luck at the Chocolate pots with clementine syrup.
“Crispy on the top, but super-gooey in the middle, rich and an utterly mind-blowing chocolate experience, these pots are an honest and delicious expression of chocolate – they really celebrate the quality of the chocolate you choose. ”
Ingredients – serves 12
|
|
 |
Method
Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/gas 3. Snap the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, add the butter and a pinch of sea salt and place over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together until thick and fluffy. Whisking constantly, pour the chocolate mixture into the eggs, until combined. Divide between 12 small ovenproof teacups or ramekins, then place them in a large, deep roasting tray. Place the tray in the oven, then carefully pour enough boiling kettle water into the tray to come halfway up the side of the cups. Bake for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the cups from the tray and leave them to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, to make the syrup, squeeze all the clementine juice through a sieve into a small pan. Add the sugar and bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes, or until starting to thicken and coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
For maximum pleasure, enjoy the chocolate pots at room temperature – if they’re hot, they’ll be too runny, and if they even touch the fridge, they become too firm. Serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a drizzle of the syrup. Heaven.
Missed out? Get your Jamie fix here.
Merry Christmas from jj! X