While not all five of his children are featured on the cover (three are, we get the sense the teenagers have bowed out this time around), this book is all about feeding the people you love. There are dinner party menus, ideas for big gatherings and celebrations, and nifty get-ahead tips and tricks so you’re not losing your cool as your guests start to appear.

Dedicated to NHS staff, the impact of the pandemic is a thread that Oliver picks up on throughout. And he’s right, it’s very lovely to be able to sit down, chat and scoff our faces together again.

Jamie Oliver’s fragrant squash curry with chickpeas, ginger, spices and coconut milk

Ingredients:

(Serves 6 + 2 leftover portions)

1 butternut squash (1.2kg)

Olive oil

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

4cm piece of ginger

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon medium curry powder

300g ripe cherry tomatoes

2 tinned pineapple rings in juice

1 x 400ml tin of light coconut milk

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas

Optional: 2 sprigs of coriander, to serve

GET AHEAD: You can make this on the day, if you prefer. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Scrub the squash (there’s no need to peel it), carefully halve it lengthways and deseed, then chop into 2cm chunks. Place in a roasting tray, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then roast for 1 hour, or until soft and caramelized.

Meanwhile, peel and roughly chop the onion, peel the garlic and ginger, and dry fry in a non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat with the coriander and fenugreek seeds and the curry powder, stirring until lightly charred all over. Add the tomatoes and pineapple rings (reserving the juice), and cook for 10 minutes to soften and char, stirring regularly.

Tip it all into a blender, add the coconut milk and blitz until very smooth. Return to the pan, tip in the chickpeas, juice and all, and simmer gently until the sauce is thickened. Stir in the roasted squash, then season the curry to perfection, tasting and tweaking, and loosening with the reserved pineapple juice. Cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.

TO SERVE: Preheat the oven to 150ºC. Place the covered pan of curry in the oven until hot through – about 1 hour. Nice with picked coriander leaves.

Jamie Oliver’s elegant tuna carpaccio, miso veg, chilli and lime dressing and sesame

Ingredients:

(Serve 2)

1 tablespoon quinoa

1 tablespoon frozen edamame beans

100g crunchy veg, such as cucumber, sugar snap peas, mangetout, carrots

2 level teaspoons white miso paste

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

1 fresh chilli

1cm piece of ginger

1 lime

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons low-salt soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 x 200g super-fresh chunky tuna steak, from sustainable sources

Optional: 2 sprigs of shiso, mint or basil

GET AHEAD: You can prep all this on the day, if you prefer.

Cook the quinoa in plenty of water according to the packet instructions, adding the edamame for the last 2 minutes, then drain and cool.

Take a little time to prep your crunchy veg – it’s nice to have a mixture, so use up any veg from the fridge – and finely slice everything as delicately as you can – a speed-peeler can be helpful here.

Muddle the miso into the rice vinegar, then scrunch with the prepped veg, quinoa and edamame – the flavours will develop and deepen overnight.

To make a dressing, deseed and finely chop the chilli and place in a clean jam jar. Peel and finely grate in the ginger, squeeze in the lime juice, then add the sesame oil and soy and pop the lid on. Toast the sesame seeds in a non-stick frying pan on a high heat until lightly golden, tossing regularly, then remove. Now, sear the tuna for just 20 seconds on each side and edge, turning with tongs, then leave to cool. Cover and refrigerate the veg and tuna overnight.

TO SERVE: If you’ve prepped ahead, get everything out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving. Slice the tuna as finely as you can and arrange around a sharing platter. Pile the dressed veg in the centre, shake up the dressing and spoon over the tuna, then finish with the herb leaves (if using), and toasted sesame seeds.

ENERGY 253kcal

FAT 12.7g

SAT FAT 2.5g

PROTEIN 17.7g

CARBS 7.6g

SUGARS 2.6g

SALT 1.2g

FIBRE 1.8g

Jamie Oliver’s chocolate orange crème brulée

Ingredients:

(Serves 2 + 2 leftover puds)

100ml double cream

300ml semi-skimmed milk

100g dark chocolate (70%)

4 large free-range eggs

80g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

1 orange

Seasonal berries, to serve

GET AHEAD: Pour the cream and milk into a non-stick pan, snap in the chocolate, and place on a medium-low heat until the chocolate has melted, whisking regularly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly while you separate the eggs.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yolks (freeze the whites to make meringues another day) with the sugar and the finely grated orange zest until pale and fluffy. Now, whisking constantly, gradually pour in the chocolate mixture until combined. Return to the pan and place over a low heat, then very gently bring to a simmer, whisking constantly for about 10 minutes, or until you have a custard-like consistency.

Divide between four small heatproof cups or two sharing bowls, then cool, cover and leave to set in the fridge overnight.

TO SERVE: Sprinkle a little sugar over two of the puds, then melt it under a hot grill or using a blowtorch. Serve with orange segments, berries or cherries. The two extra puds will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge, if you can wait that long!

ENERGY 414kcal

FAT 27.1g

SAT FAT 13.7g

PROTEIN 8.9g

CARBS 39.8g

SUGARS 39.6g

SALT 0.2g

FIBRE 1g

Together by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Random House © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2021 Together). Photography by David Loftus. Available now.