The aim of the book is to get you out of the kitchen to enjoy eating with your guests. It takes the stress out of cooking by teaching you hacks to get organised, and get ahead. 

“I mean, the word ‘together’ just conjures up so much feeling now, doesn’t it?” Oliver says. “It’s what we’ve all missed and longed for, to be with our family, friends and community again after all the events over the past year. 

“My new book is a real celebration of great food that you can share with your loved ones. But it’s about more than food – it’s about making memories.”

Exclusive to Maverick Life, enjoy!

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Stuffed salmon
Serves 8 

What I like about this recipe is that the method, which is incredibly easy to follow, elevates the salmon to a new level. It makes a real event of this incredible fish and, while it cooks, the flavours all mix and mingle together, amplifying utter deliciousness. 

Jamie Oliver Together – stuffed salmon. Image: Supplied

• 1 heaped tablespoon baby capers in brine
• 10 anchovy fillets in oil, from sustainable sources
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 10 mixed-colour olives, stone in
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 1 lemon
• olive oil
• 1.2kg side of salmon, skin on, pin-boned, from sustainable sources

GET AHEAD You can prep this on the day, if you prefer. Put the capers into a small bowl, then tear in the anchovies and strip in the rosemary leaves. Squash and destone the olives, tearing the flesh into the bowl, then finely slice and add the chilli. Finely grate over the lemon zest, squeeze in the juice, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

ON THE DAY Place the salmon skin-side down in the middle of your largest roasting tray and use the tip of a small sharp knife to make deep cuts into the flesh at 3cm intervals. Now stuff each cut, using the knife to help you. I start by dividing up the olives and anchovies, then add the rosemary, chilli and capers. Take your time and enjoy the process. Sprinkle any excess around the salmon. 

TO SERVE Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Roast the salmon at the bottom of the oven for 20 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then serve 

VEGGIE LOVE: A giant stuffed portobello mushroom for each veggie guest instead of salmon is a thing of joy – just lose the anchovies. 

ENERGY 313kcal
FAT 20.6g
SAT FAT 3.5g
PROTEIN 31.4g
CARBS 0.1g
SUGARS 0.1g
SALT 1g
FIBRE 0.1g

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Tender sticky aubergines
Star anise, chilli jam & sesame seeds
Serves 4 

• 2 large aubergines (400g each)
• olive oil
• 2 star anise
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons chilli jam
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons low-salt soy sauce

Jamie Oliver Together – tender sticky aubergines. Image: Supplied

ON THE DAY Put a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. Halve the aubergines lengthways, score into the flesh in a criss-cross pattern at 2cm intervals, then sprinkle with a little sea salt. Place skin side down in the pan with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil and 2 mugs of water (600ml). Add the star anise, sesame seeds, chilli jam, vinegar and soy, then cover and boil gently for 20 to 30 minutes, or until all the water has cooked away, the aubergine is soft through, and the chilli jam is getting sticky. Turn the heat off. 

TO SERVE Reheat the aubergines for 5 minutes on a medium-high heat, adding extra splashes of water to create a sticky sauce, if needed. Transfer to a serving plate but don’t touch it straight away – the chilli jam means it’ll be very hot! 

ENERGY 98kcal
FAT 3.4g
SAT FAT 0.6g
PROTEIN 2.7g
CARBS 16.7g
SUGARS 9.7g
SALT 0.2g
FIBRE 7g

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Chicken, sausage & bacon puff pie
English mustard, leeks & watercress sauce
Serves 4 

• 2 rashers of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
• 2 free-range chicken thighs (100g each), skin off, bone out
• 2 higher-welfare sausages
• 2 leeks
• 2 small potatoes (100g each)
• 2 heaped teaspoons English mustard
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 500ml organic chicken stock
• 500ml semi-skimmed milk
• 85g watercress
• olive oil
• 320g ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 large free-range egg

Jamie Oliver Together – chicken sausage bacon puff pie. Image: Supplied

GET AHEAD You can do this on the day, if you prefer. Slice the bacon and place in a large shallow casserole pan on a medium heat. Chop the chicken and sausages into 3cm chunks, and add to the pan. Cook until lightly golden, stirring regularly, while you trim and wash the leeks, peel the potatoes, chop it all into 3cm chunks, then stir in with a good splash of water. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the leeks have softened, stirring occasionally, scraping up any sticky bits, and adding an extra splash of water, if needed. Stir in the mustard and flour, followed by the stock, then the milk. Bring to the boil, simmer for 15 minutes on a low heat, stirring regularly, then season to perfection, tasting and tweaking. Carefully pour everything through a colander to separate the filling from the sauce. Pour the sauce into a blender, add the watercress and blitz until smooth. Spoon the filling into a 20cm pie dish with 100ml of sauce. Let everything cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight. 

TO SERVE Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Brush the rim of the pie dish with olive oil. Cut the pastry into 2cm-thick strips, using a crinkly pasta cutter if you’ve got one, then arrange over the dish – I like a messy lattice. Eggwash all the pastry, then bake the pie for 45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot. Gently heat up the watercress sauce to serve on the side. 

VEGGIE LOVE: Peel 500g of root veg of your choice, chop into 2–3cm chunks and cook for 20 minutes with the leeks, potatoes, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the leaves from ½ a bunch of thyme (10g). Use organic veg stock with the milk, top up with 125ml of sauce on assembly, then finish in the same way.

ENERGY 699kcal
FAT 35.2g
SAT FAT 14g
PROTEIN 35.6g
CARBS 60.4g
SUGARS 9.2g
SALT 1.8g
FIBRE 4.2g. DM/ ML

Together by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Random House (R445). Visit The Reading List for South African book news – including recipes! – daily.