Recipes: Each of these dishes only requires 5 ingredients at most

For over two decades I supervised a popular reader-write-in column dubbed “Take Five.” Readers submitted recipes with five ingredients or less; the limitations didn’t apply to oil, salt, or pepper. Before the arrival of the internet, submission letters clogged my mail cubby. I enjoyed reading the recipes and imagined the dishes’ flavors and vitalized the appearance, later testing out the best of the bunch in my kitchen.

Celebrity chef-cookbook author Jamie Oliver, embraced five-ingredient recipe formats in his book “5 Ingredients — Quick and Easy Food.” His wife, Jools, encouraged him to write another book with that theme.

“She told me to stop thinking about anything else,” he wrote, explaining that she explained that people’s lives are busy, and the short-ingredient formulas are what the parents of school age children talk about.

He welcomed that format again, this time using the “hero ingredients” of the Mediterranean. In “Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients Mediterranean” (Flatiron Books), he assumes that olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper are a part of every reader’s pantry, so those components don’t count against the limit.

Big flavor, little grocery lists.

Pot-Roast Chicken, Fondant Potatoes, Herby salsa, Roasted Garlic

Pot Roast Chicken was inspired by Oliver’s recent trip to Barcelona, Spain. He writes that herb-packed salsas are much loved in Catalan cooking. He embellishes the chicken and rich broth-cooked spuds, with a vibrant nutty salsa.

Yield:  4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 (3-pound) whole chicken

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley

1 bulb of garlic

1 1/2 ounces blanched hazelnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, then brown in a large ovenproof casserole pan on a high heat, removing it to a plate once golden all over (roughly 5 minutes). Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and chop into 2-inch chunks. Pour 2 3/4 cups of water into the pan, then add the parsley stalks (stems), garlic bulb (reserving 1 garlic clove for later) and the potatoes. Bring to the boil on the stove for 15 minutes, season lightly, then pop the chicken on top and place in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the reserved garlic clove, very finely chop the parsley leaves, and roughly chop the hazelnuts. Place in a small serving bowl, stir in 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 4 tablespoons of water, and season to perfection.

3. Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving platter, spoon over the herby salsa and serve the roasted garlic bulb on the side, for squeezing from its papery skin onto the top.

Source: “Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients Mediterranean” (Flatiron Books)

Mushroom Soup, Sour Cream Ripple, Crispy Mushrooms

Oliver writes that this mushroom soup was inspired by Montenegro, where he writes that “cooking is all about extracting maximum flavor from fresh local produce.”  For this soup, he uses mushrooms in two delicious ways.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 garlic cloves

10 ounces frozen or fresh chopped mixed onion, carrot and celery; see cook’s notes

1 1/2 pounces cremini mushrooms

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup sour cream

Cook’s notes: A mix of diced onion, carrots and celery is often referred to as “mirepoix.” Whole Foods often stocks frozen mirepoix under the Cascadian Farm label. If you can’t find it, you can substitute Trader Joe’s fresh version packaged in plastic tubs.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and finely slice the garlic, then place it in a large ovenproof casserole pan on a medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the mixed veg. Fry for a few minutes while you slice 1 pound of the mushrooms, then add them to the pan with a good pinch of black pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, or until golden, then pour in the broth and cook for a further 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, slice the remaining 1/2 pound of mushrooms (slice them so you have some beautiful cross-sections, throwing any trimmings into the soup as you go), place on a rimmed baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes in preheated oven, or until beautifully golden and crisp.

3. When the time’s up, blitz the soup to your desired consistency (divide into batches and process in a food processor to puree or use an immersion blender to puree), then season to perfection. Divide between warm soup bowls, ripple 1 tablespoon of sour cream into each, and top with the crispy mushrooms and a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.

Source: “Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients Mediterranean” (Flatiron Books)

Charred Brussels Sprouts with Creamy Dressing, Croutons and Shaved Parmesan

Oliver describes this as a “really fun and delicious dish to make.” If you wish, use this charring technique with other Mediterranean brassicas, such as broccolini, cauliflower or Romanesco, adjusting the cooking time as needed. I love the flavor that the topping brings; it’s a mix of yogurt, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. The jumble wouldn’t win a prize for beauty, but the taste is luscious.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 pound Brussels sprouts (small to small-medium size)

1 3/4 ounces (about 1/3 cup grated) Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving, divided use

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 thick slices of sourdough bread

DIRECTIONS

1. Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts, char in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat for 15 minutes, or until gnarly on the outside and steamy and tender on the inside, then tip onto a board. Meanwhile, finely grate most of the Parmesan and fold it into the yogurt with lemon juice. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, then spoon on to a serving platter.

2. Place the pan on a medium-high heat. Slice the bread into 1/2-inch cubes and toast with a drizzle of olive oil for 4 minutes or until golden, tossing occasionally and finely grating over the remaining Parmesan for the last few seconds. Arrange the croutons and Brussels sprouts on top of the yogurt mixture, and finish with extra shavings of Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Toss together just before serving.

Source: “Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients Mediterranean” (Flatiron Books)