ode to jamie – passioneats

I have a crush. A serious chef crush. The object of my affection is the adorable Jamie Oliver, British chef, whose cooking show, Jamie at Home, I watch almost religiously every night as I cook dinner. The Cooking Channel repeats the same episodes over and over, but I never tire of watching them. His enthusiasm for cooking is unbelievably contagious–he giggles and gushes as he goes. He uses lots of infectious phrases like, “delish,” “dead simple,” “brilliant,” and, my fav, “easy peasy;” I swear I’ve picked up an expression or two. Jamie has the most unpretentious, yet well thought-out approach to food. I applaud his commitment to using the freshest ingredients, and his ability to throw those ingredients together with fearless abandon, making any dish seem possible. Oh, and did I mention how much I admire the program he began to rehabilitate troubled young men and women in England by training them to be chefs in his restaurant, or the crusade he’s leading to improve the quality of food in school lunchrooms across our country and the UK? He is just so inspiring. And don’t even get me started on his British accent.

In case you haven’t seen it, each episode of Jamie at Home is devoted to the many dishes you can make with just one ingredient, group of ingredients, or method, such as tomatoes, pumpkin and squash, or barbecue. Jamie cooks in his enchantingly rustic cottage or he’ll go outside to his bucolic garden (the source of all his gorgeous vegetables and herbs) to roast meats or bake pizzas in a massive outdoor brick oven. This recipe comes from the episode, “Pickles & Preserves,” and spoke to me because, besides being quintessentially British, it has a special place in my heart.

Welsh Rarebit with Chili Chutney

As a single woman living alone in the city, one of my go-to meals was Stouffer’s Welsh Rarebit, a frozen package of cheese sauce that I would heat up in a pot of boiling water, cut open and pour over toast. Pretty funny when I think that’s how I used to feed myself. Like a fancy grilled cheese, it was a quick solution to dinner. This recipe is the grown-up version or, as Jamie calls it, “posh cheese on toast.” It begins with a wonderfulChili Chutney, a jam which is pretty simple to make and adds great dimension of flavor to the dish. The rich chutney gets spread on thick slices of toasted country sourdough bread, topped with a simple cheese sauce, and broiled until bubbly and golden brown. Talk about comfort food.

Jamie has quite the predilection for chilies, but I must admit that I’m just beginning to appreciate their heat in my recipes. You can adjust the amount of chilies in this chutney to suit your own taste. First, roast your assortment of bell peppers and chilies–there are a couple of different ways to do this. If you have a gas stove, you can char the peppers one at a time over the open flame. When I’m doing a large amount of peppers like this, I opt for the broiler method. Place peppers on a baking sheet and place under a preheated broiler. Keep a close eye and, using tongs, turn the peppers and chilies as they get charred on each side. Place peppers in a large bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let them steam–this will make it easier to remove the skins.

When the peppers and chilies have cooled slightly, peel off their skins. Remove the stem ends with a knife. Split the peppers open lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the edge of the knife. Transfer to a food processor.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced red onions to the pan and cook down until soft and slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Place in the food processor with the roasted peppers.

Pulse the peppers and onions in the food processor until all is finely chopped.

Place back in the skillet and stir in bay leaves, a large sprig of rosemary, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer over medium low heat until the mixture cooks down and becomes thick, about 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick and cool thoroughly. Place chutney in a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the Welsh Rarebit, thickly slice a country bread, preferably sourdough, and toast until golden on both sides.

In a small bowl, stir together creme fraiche or sour cream, 2 fresh organic egg yolks, 1 cup grated good quality cheddar cheese (preferably English), dry mustard powder, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Spread a tablespoon or two of chili chutney on each slice of toast. Smear the cheese mixture thickly over the chili jam, spreading it to the edges. Place under the broiler and cook until the top is bubbly and brown, about 3 or 4 minutes.

Using the edge of a knife, make a crisscross design through the top of the cheese. For a true Brit touch, sprinkle worcestershire sauce over the toasts and serve piping hot.

Now, what else can you do with all that yummy leftover Chili Chutney? It would be great tossed with pasta, as a spread in sandwiches, or served as a condiment alongside a platter of cheese and crackers. Brilliant.

Adapted from Jamie Oliver
Serves 3:

Chili Chutney:

3 red bell peppers

2 or 3 chilies

2 red onions, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 bay leaves

1 large rosemary sprig

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Welsh Rarebit:

3 thick slices country sourdough bread

2/3 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

2 organic egg yolks

1 cup grated English cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder, like Colman’s

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

worcestershire sauce

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