Free Pizza

A large handful of watercress, to serve

Heat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Mix your grated potato and sliced onion in a bowl with a good pinch of salt. Leave for a few minutes to allow most of the water to drain out of the veg, then really squeeze the mixture with your hands and pour away any excess liquid. Beat 2 of your eggs, add these to the bowl and mix well. Stir in the flour and a pinch of pepper and put to one side.

Heat a large frying pan or skillet on a medium heat. Add a splash of vegetable oil and spoon in 1 heaped tablespoonful of the batter at a time. This mixture should make 8 latkes. Press each one down into a little pancake with the back of your spoon as you put them into the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to make these in batches. After a couple of minutes, the latkes should be lovely and golden underneath, so flip each one over and fry for another couple of minutes until cooked through. Transfer them to a baking tray and pop them into the oven for 10 minutes while you get everything else ready.

Wipe your frying pan with kitchen paper and add the fish. Pour 2.5cm of water into the pan and add a knob of butter. Bring everything to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to warm the fish through.

Fill a wide, deep pan with water, add a splash of vinegar and a good pinch of salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and turn down to a simmer. Crack in your remaining 4 eggs and let them poach — a soft-poached egg will take 2-3 minutes, a firm one 4 minutes. Meanwhile, take your latkes out of the oven and put 2 on each plate. Use a slotted spoon to take the fish out of the pan, drain, then pop the fillets on top of the latkes. Take an egg out of the water with a slotted spoon and touch it with your finger to check how soft or hard it is. You know how you like your eggs, so use your instincts. As soon as your eggs are ready, spoon one onto each plate and finish with a few sprigs of watercress and some black pepper. Breakfast heaven.

Jamie’s America by Jamie Oliver, with photographs by David Loftus, is published on Thursday (Michael Joseph £26). You can buy it for £25 with free p&p in the UK. If you order Jamie’s America, you can also purchase Jamie’s Italy, getting both books for £30. Call 0843 060 0021 and quote reference JO/SundayTimes. Allow 7-10 working days for delivery

Jamie’s American Road Trip starts on Channel 4 on September 1 at 9pm

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