Herby steak & crispy potatoes

Green pesto, juicy mixed-colour tomato salad & crushed pistachios

Inspired by pistou, a beautiful French condiment made with smashed basil, garlic and oil, this tasty dish is a joy to eat. I’ve swapped in pesto for ease, but buy fresh for amplified flavour and texture.

Serves: 2

Total time: 30 minutes

• 500g red-skinned potatoes
• 1 x 300g sirloin steak
• 4 teaspoons fresh green pesto or pistou
• 6 ripe medium mixed-colour tomatoes
• 20g shelled unsalted pistachios

Scrub the potatoes, chop into 2cm chunks, then place in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Fry for 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, stirring regularly, then remove to a bowl. Put the pan back on a high heat.

Cut the fat off the steak, then roughly chop the fat and place in the pan to render. Generously season the steak, rub all over with 2 teaspoons of pesto, and cook for 3 minutes on each side for medium rare, or to your liking. Remove to a plate to rest. Return the potatoes to the pan to warm through, while you slice the tomatoes 1cm thick and arrange on serving plates. Dress with a splash of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and season to perfection. Spoon over the potatoes, then slice and divide up the steak, pouring over any resting juices. Spoon over the remaining pesto, then bash and scatter over the pistachios. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.

Energy 735kcal; Fat 42.1g; Sat fat 11.7g; Protein 40g; Carbs 51.8g; Sugars 9.5g; Salt 1.4g; Fibre 6.4g

Tunisian prawn spaghetti

Fragrant rose harissa, zingy lemon & fresh parsley

Tunisians are one of the biggest pasta eaters on the planet and they have a whole load of their own pasta shapes and techniques. Harissa really amplifies the sweetness of the prawns here – delicious!

Serves: 2

Total time: 22 minutes

• 150g dried spaghetti
• 8 large raw shell-on king prawns
• 2 teaspoons rose harissa
• ½ a bunch of flat-leaf parsley (15g)
• 1 lemon

Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, peel the prawns, removing and reserving the heads and leaving the tails on. I like to run a small sharp knife down the back of each, discarding the vein, so they butterfly when they cook. Toss the prawns with the harissa and leave to briefly marinate. Place the prawn heads in a large frying pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry until golden all over, stirring regularly and gently squashing to extract amazing flavour. Roughly chop and reserve the top leafy half of the parsley, then finely slice the stalks and add them to the pan with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Fry for 1 minute, then add the marinated prawns and cook for 1 minute on each side. Using tongs, drag the pasta into the pan, squeeze in half the lemon juice, throw in the parsley leaves, then toss together, loosening with a splash of starchy cooking water, if needed. To serve, pick out and discard the crispy prawn heads and cut the remaining lemon half into wedges for squeezing over.

Energy 373kcal; Fat 9.3g; Sat fat 1.2g; Protein 19.2g; Carbs 56.3g; Sugars 3.2g; Salt 0.9g; Fibre 2.8g

Smoky tender eggplant

Silken hummus, crispy chickpeas, radishes & lemons

Vibing off flavours from the Levantine coast, I’m using chickpeas in two different ways to max out on both flavour and texture. Peeled blackened eggplant adds a smoky depth that’s hard to beat.

Serves: 2

Total: 22 minutes

• 2 eggplants (250g each)
• 50g sesame seeds
• ½ x 700g jar or 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
• 2 lemons
• 200g radishes, ideally with leaves

Prick the eggplants, then carefully blacken them over a direct flame on the hob (or under the grill), turning with tongs until soft inside. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat until golden, tossing regularly. Put two-thirds of the toasted seeds into a blender, saving the rest for later. Drain the chickpeas (reserving the juice) and add two-thirds to the blender with the juice of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Blitz until super-smooth, loosening with splashes of chickpea juice, if needed, then season to perfection and divide between plates.

Halve the radishes, toss with the remaining lemon juice and season with sea salt to quickly pickle. Once cool enough to handle, carefully remove the eggplant skin, then halve lengthways leaving them intact at the stalk, and season with salt and black pepper. Return the frying pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil, and scatter in the remaining chickpeas. Push the chickpeas to one side, then add the eggplants and cook for 5 minutes, or until the chickpeas are golden and crispy and the eggplant is starting to caramelise, turning as needed. Divide between plates, scatter over the reserved toasted sesame seeds and radishes, and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.

Energy 446kcal; Fat 31.4g; Sat Fat 5.3g; Protein 15.3g; Carbs 26.3g; Sugars 8.1g; Salt 0.5g; Fibre 5.6g

5 Ingredients Mediterranean by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Michael Joseph © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2023 5 Ingredients Mediterranean). Recipe photography: © David Loftus, 2023.

Jamie Oliver will be appearing at the Sydney Opera House for an Australian exclusive event on Saturday, November 11, 2023