Jamie's Great Italian Escape
Season 1
Jamie Oliver heads to Italy in his camper van to regain his passion for cooking. Jamie maps out a journey to rediscover what inspired his love of food in the first place. He's hoping that going back to basics, living off the land, meeting the locals and cooking up some traditional Italian food in his own style will be just what he needs.
What will the Italians make of him, and can he and his food cut the "mostardo" in the Italian's backyard?
What will the Italians make of him, and can he and his food cut the "mostardo" in the Italian's backyard?
Where to Watch Season 1
6 Episodes
- Sicily
E1SicilyWhen Jamie Oliver started his Italian tour, he was stunned at the quality of the food served in Sicily’s street markets. Forget greasy burgers from a dodgy stall – in Sicily shoppers can eat like kings as they buy their weekly groceries. Delicacies like artichoke, fresh salads with olives and ripe tomatoes and fillets of fried fish are just some of the tasty dishes on offer. The narrow, winding streets and covered market stalls feel more like the traditional souks or bazaars found in African and Middle Eastern cultures than the markets of other regions of Italy. It is thanks to the geographical location of Sicily, just off the southern toe of the Italian boot that it has such fantastic street food. - Marettimo
E2MarettimoIslands in the sun Golden sunshine, blue seas and fantastic views – no wonder Jamie couldn’t resist kicking off his shoes and relaxing on the beautiful island of Marettimo. As Jamie says: 'There’s something about island life which makes everything go slowly, softly – don’t rush, take your time and you get time to think.' This remote island, one of the Egadi isles off the coast of Sicily, had clearly worked its magic on the workaholic chef. Staking its claim in ancient history, Marettimo is believed to be the original Ithaca, location of Homer's Odysseus. Away from it all Today, lucky visitors can relax on the beaches and tiny coves or enjoy diving in the area, which is part of a marine reserve with a wide variety of sea life to discover. If you love walking, head inland to the mountains where you can climb up high for spectacular views over the Mediterranean. For culture fiends there are Roman ruins, a Spanish castle and a small temple which dates back to the 1st century AD. Many cruises stop off at Marettimo and visit Giovanni’s La Scaletti restaurant. But for independent travellers, it takes a little effort to arrive. The best way is on the hydrofoil from Trapani in Sicily, which stops at all the islands four times a day. There are direct flights to Palermo from Stansted. Or if that’s too much trouble, you can always charter your own helicopter to get there. But if you fancy an easier way to island life, there are plenty of other beautiful islands off the coast of Italy. Spoilt for choice Like Jamie, who started his tour there, you could visit Sicily – home of the Mafia, fantastic street markets and great beaches. For good old-fashioned glamour, why not go to Capri? Some of the scenes in The Talented Mr Ripley were filmed there. In the 1950s the island was one of the most exclusive in the world, a playground for the rich and famous. It still retains an air of glamour with many boutique hotels springing up along the rugged coast. - Farfa
E3FarfaMembers of religious orders have traditionally been known for their good food and wines, so Jamie was looking forward to dining in splendour when he went to stay with the monks of the Benedictine community in Farfa, north of Rome. But the monks at the beautiful Farfa Abbey had long forgotten their culinary heritage. Tinned vegetables for dinner and a defunct herb garden inspired Jamie to take charge and encourage the monks to enjoy some good eating again. - Le Marche
E4Le MarcheJamie's pasta making competition with the Mamas from Le Marche is part of a well-loved tradition in Italy. The English have their village fêtes, with tombolas and coconut shies. In Italy, the locals get together to celebrate their local foods at a sagra. Thousands of sagre take place around Italy to celebrate a particular food or wine from that area, In Le Marche, the region where Jamie visited the Sagre de Mercatello, nearly every town and village has at least one festival during the summer.
