I followed the original recipe, with exactly the same quantities and method for 2, but this time I cut the chicken breasts into bite size chunks instead of leaving them whole, before I dusted them in the flour, and then fried them until golden. Once it is completely cool, dollop warm biscuit spread onto the top and spread it all over the cake. He admits he had "no social life" as he'd often work elsewhere on his days off, such as spending time at Michelin star restaurants to give him an extra edge on his peers. With lots of media attention around the journey I’ve been on, I was invited into schools, prisons, and even business events to tell my story. The amount of sauce was perfect for four of us and made the hassleback potatoes to go with it and tenderstem broccoli.

Jon Watts Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Dumplings - Chef Jon Watts

As you can probably imagine, being in the Palace two weeks before and then having achieved employment and working in quite an amazing place at the time just gave me that sense of self belief and self confidence. I do like the dish to be a little saucy if you like it this way maybe worth leaving it a bit runny as it soon gets sucked up into the pasta when left.From prison to professional chef, Jon Watts’ debut cookbook shares the story of how he turned his life around through food, inspiring others with his passion for cooking. In 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic hit, almost all of my work had disappeared which put me in quite a difficult position. Don’t be put off by the lemon, It’s a slight hint and now I won’t do scones without lemon zest and juice. One of the components of the gold award is to learn a skill, and Jon opted for cooking as he was already working in the prison kitchen at the time. That's because things could've been very different for Jon, now 32, although he's proven that anyone can change their circumstances with the right attitude and application.

Jon Watts Classic Scones - Chef Jon Watts

I was practising the night before, I was making the dish at home and pretending I was talking so I wasn't going unprepared, but I've also done it in my head for the last seven, eight years. Fast forward three-and-a-bit years and he became the first person in custody to get their bronze, silver and gold award.He's worked for Jamie Oliver's restaurants, earned a temporary catering contract for the X-Factor and even cooked for Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes on ITV's This Morning - 10 years to the day after he left jail.

Jon Watts Chicken Fricassée - Chef Jon Watts

Leave it to cool to room temperature, for best results place it into the fridge for a few hours before cutting it into portions. I went there the day before and I did live rehearsals and the producers were firing questions at me left, right and centre as well so I was almost used to it. You will need to use your hands to pat the remaining dough back into shape to get all your scones out of the dough.Cut the butter into chunks, place in a heat proof bowl along with the dark chocolate and melt it over a pan of simmering water until there are no lumps left, take off the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Designed to suit any skill level in the kitchen, the book features over 80 fun and accessible recipes for every home cook to enjoy. Two weeks before my release I was awarded my Gold at the palace by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh himself.

Watts Cooking | Meze Publishing Watts Cooking | Meze Publishing

I think for a lot of those young people it leads to anger and frustration because they perhaps don't fit that mould. This is prepped and ready to go for tonight also loved the creamy salmon orzo and honey mustard chicken too. You can message me via the contact page with any enquiries and I will get back to you with more details. Half of these delicious dishes are brand new creations, all using accessible ingredients and easy-to-follow methods, so you’ll want to make them again and again. I have a huge amount of experience in cooking for all kinds of functions from intimate dinners to large scale barbecues and everything in between.

I found myself hanging around with people that were involved in crime and all sorts of other nonsense and it sort of gave me a sense of belonging and a kind of purpose. And a year later he was awarded the temporary catering contract for the X Factor house while also being chosen to feature in two adverts for Quorn. In April of this year his dream came true - he was cooking a chicken and prosciutto Milanese for Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes live on one of ITV's flagship shows. A pinch yourself moment if there ever was one, and the appearance came 10 years to the day from his prison release. Although some people like to believe that the person you cook it for will want to marry you after you make it for them.