Ottolenghis Archives - Food And Recipe

April 9, 2023

Bean stew, clam casserole and a creamy dip: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for cannellini beans | Food

Tinned beans, jarred beans and dried beans: happily, there is use for them all. For convenience, it’s tinned all the way. Jarred, meanwhile, have the benefit of being big, buttery and instantly ready, so they are most definitely your friend. Last, for when you have some time, and want the beans to absorb the flavours of whatever they are cooked with, it’s dried for the win (but get them soaking and cooking sooner rather than later, because they need time to reach their full potential). Regardless of which type you go for, however, there are myriad ways to incorporate the humble bean into your day-to-day.

Cannellini beans with grilled tomatoes and crisp oregano (pictured top)

Grilled red peppers work as well as the tomatoes here, if you want to play around. For a quick midweek meal, grill the tomatoes the day before or use jarred red peppers. Either way, serve with plenty of grilled bread and a green salad.

Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4

4-5 plum tomatoes (600g)
3 mild red chillies (60g)
100ml olive oil
30g oregano, leaves picked (15g)
7 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half lengthways
1 x 660g jar cooked cannellini beans, or other white beans – I like Bold Bean Co
1 lemon, zest peeled off in 5 wide strips, then juiced, to get 45ml
2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and lightly ground in a mortar
Salt and black pepper

Put a griddle pan on a high heat and, once smoking, lay in the whole tomatoes and chillies, and grill, turning often, until their skins are blackened all over – the chillies will take two or three minutes and the tomatoes seven to 10. Lift out of the pan with tongs, set aside and, once they are cool enough to handle, peel off all the skins. Cut each tomato into four chunks and tear each chilli into three or four long strips (if you prefer less heat, scrape out and discard the seeds and pith).

Put 70ml oil in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat and, once hot, fry the oregano leaves for a minute, until crisp and deep green in colour. Pour into a sieve set over a small bowl and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, put the remaining 30ml oil and the halved garlic cloves in a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat and cook for a minute or two, until softened and starting to brown around the edges. Tip in the beans and the liquid from the jar, add 120ml water, the strips of lemon zest, half of the fennel, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of cracked black pepper, stir gently and warm through for just three or four minutes.

Spoon the bean mix on to a serving plate. Add the tomatoes, chillies and lemon juice to the oregano oil bowl, with a quarter teaspoon of salt and plenty of cracked black pepper. Mix gently and spoon this over the beans. Serve with the crispy oregano leaves and remaining fennel seed scattered on top.

Cannellini beans with clams and spiced tomato (pictured top)

Yotam Ottolenghi’s cannellini beans with clams and spiced tomato. — Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay. Food styling assistant: Kristine Jakobsson

Although I love the convenience of tinned beans, there is no comparison in taste to cooking them from scratch. There’s no set time for how long it will take your beans to cook, as beans differ in variety and age. Just beware of using old beans, as however long you soak and cook them, they will never become tender. I’ve used cannellini beans, but feel free to use different kinds of beans, such as butter or haricot.

Soak 8 hr+
Prep 10 min
Cook Up to 2½ hr
Serves 4-6

400g dried cannellini beans, soaked for at least 8 hours
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped (150g)
1 whole garlic head, top 2cm cut off to reveal the cloves
1 cinnamon stick
750g clams, or mussels
100ml olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tomatoes (180g), cut into 2cm pieces
2 tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Fine sea salt and black pepper
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
20g coriander, roughly chopped, plus 1 tbsp extra to serve
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Drain the soaked beans, then put them in a large cast-iron saute pan for which you have a lid. Pour in enough water to cover the beans by 5cm, then bring to a boil. Skim any froth that rises to the top, then turn down the heat to medium-low, stir in the onion, garlic and cinnamon stick, and cook for up to an hour and three-quarters, or until the beans are soft and cooked through – check them at the hour mark, and then every 15 minutes thereafter. Top up the water as necessary, so the beans are always submerged.

Meanwhile, put the clams in a large bowl, cover with very cold water and discard any with broken shells or that refuse to shut. Agitate the clams so they spit out any sand, then drain and repeat until the water runs clear. Strain, transfer back to the bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Put 70ml oil in a small frying pan on a medium heat, then add the cumin seeds and cook for a minute, until fragrant. Add the ginger, cook, stirring, for a minute more, then stir in the tomatoes and cook for one minute. Stir in the paprika, ground cinnamon, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good crack of pepper, cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant, then take off the heat.

Once the beans are soft, strain them through a colander set over a bowl to catch the cooking liquor. Return the solids to the casserole, squeeze in the garlic flesh, then add 100ml of the reserved cooking liquid, the remaining two tablespoons of oil, the vinegar and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt. Return the pan to a high heat, boil for three minutes, until until the sauce is almost completely reduced, then add the clams. Cover the pot and cook for three minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to encourage the clams to open and to stop the beans from sticking. Once all the clams are open (discard any that do not), take off the heat and stir through the coriander.

Scoop out two tablespoons of tomato pieces from the tomato mixture and stir them through the clams along with the lemon juice.

To serve, drizzle the rest of the tomato topping all over the top, sprinkle on the extra tablespoon of coriander and serve directly from the pan.

Cannellini bean and sweet potato dip with lemon, olive and urfa sauce

Yotam Ottolenghi cannellini bean and sweet potato dip with lemony-olive-urfa sauce. — Yotam Ottolenghi’s cannellini bean and sweet potato dip with lemon, olive and urfa sauce. Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay. Food styling assistant: Kristine Jakobsson

This dip and sauce pairing is a real treat – creamy and sweet from the dip, sour, hot and acidic from the sauce – but they also work well individually, if you have any of either left over. The sauce is great on all sorts, especially grilled fish or veg, so make double, if you like. Serve as part of a spread with flatbreads.

Prep 15 min
Cook 75 min
Serves 4

For the dip
½ whole garlic bulb, cut in half widthways
1 large sweet potato (400g)
1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (240g)
Salt
1 tbsp tahini
½ tsp lemon juice
2 ice cubes

For the sauce
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp cumin seeds, coarsely ground in a mortar
½ tsp caraway seeds, coarsely ground in a mortar
½ tsp coriander seeds, coarsely ground in a mortar
½ tsp urfa chilli flakes
¾ tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1½ tsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
40g pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
20g picked flatleaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. Wrap the garlic in foil and put this on a roasting tray alongside the whole sweet potato. Roast for 40 minutes, until the garlic is soft and golden, then take out the garlic parcel and roast the sweet potato for another 20 minutes (turn it after it’s had half an hour), until cooked through.

When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the flesh from the papery skins (discard the skins). Peel off and discard the sweet potato skin, then put the flesh in the bowl of a food processor and add the roast garlic flesh, the drained beans and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Blitz for a minute, until smooth, then add the tahini, lemon juice and ice cubes, and blitz for another minute, until smooth.

To make the sauce, put a small frying pan on a medium-high heat, add all the spices and the rosemary, and toast, stirring frequently, for two minutes, until fragrant. Turn down the heat to medium, add the tomato paste and oil, and cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes. Add two tablespoons of water, simmer for two minutes more, then take off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the olives and parsley.

Transfer the dip to a shallow lipped bowl with a lip, make a well in the centre, spoon in the sauce and serve.

March 27, 2023

Chicken schnitzel, idli and cookies: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for cooking with semolina | Food

Many of my favourite comfort foods are connected by one ingredient: semolina. Whether it’s the gnocchi my Italian grandmother made for us or the syrup-drenched cakes, dumplings and couscous of my childhood in Jerusalem, it’s often semolina at work. Its texture is distinct: somehow glutinous and gritty in the likes of those gnocchi, but also light and sandy in cakes and cookies. Semolina, which is halfway between wheat and flour, is also a really effective way to bring a welcome crunch to two other great comfort foods: roast potatoes, which benefit hugely from being rolled in a little semolina after they’ve been parboiled, and chicken schnitzel. In fact, it’s a bit of a miracle ingredient.

Mustardy chicken schnitzel with braised peas and pea salsa (pictured top)

Here, semolina makes a light and crisp crust for a comforting schnitzel. Both the braised peas and the pea salsa can be made the day before.

Prep 15 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 2

For the salsa
90ml olive oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
80g frozen peas or petit pois, plus 150g extra for the braised peas
Fine sea salt and black pepper

For the braised peas
60g unsalted butter
2 large shallots, peeled, halved and roughly chopped (110g)
1 baby gem lettuce, cut into 6 wedges
2 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and roughly chopped
50g plain flour, plus 1 tbsp extra
200ml chicken stock

For the schnitzels
150g fine semolina
1 medium egg, beaten
2 tbsp dijon mustard, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp wasabi paste
2 chicken breasts, skinless (400g)
10g mint leaves, roughly chopped

Put two teaspoons of oil in a medium saucepan on a medium heat, add the mustard seeds and cook for two minutes, until they start to pop. Take off the heat, stir in 80g of the peas and leave to cook in the residual heat. Transfer to a mortar, add a quarter-teaspoon of salt, then crush gently and put to one side.

For the braised peas, return the saucepan to a medium heat and add the butter. Once it’s melted, add the shallots and half a teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for two minutes, until slightly softened. Add the remaining 150g peas, the lettuce wedges and the anchovies, and cook for a further five minutes, until softened. Add a tablespoon of flour, stir for a minute, then pour in the stock. Turn the heat to low and leave to braise for 10 minutes, until nicely thickened. Set aside.

Put the remaining 80ml olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Put the flour and semolina in two separate wide, shallow bowls. Mix the egg, mustard and wasabi in a third shallow bowl. Put the chicken breasts on a board and, using a meat mallet (or the base of a small heavy saucepan), gently bash them to about 2cm thick. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, then, one by one, coat first in flour, then in the egg mixture and finally in the semolina, shaking off the excess as you go.

Carefully lay one piece of chicken in the hot oil, fry, turning once halfway, for three minutes, until nicely browned all over. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain, then and repeat with the second coated chicken breast. Leave to rest for a minute or two, then cut each breast in half.

Stir two-thirds of the mint into the braised peas, then pour into a lipped platter and arrange the chicken on top. Garnish with the salsa, sprinkle over the remaining mint and serve with extra dijon mustard on the side.

Semolina idli with coconut chutney and spiced oil

Idli are soft, pillowy cakes from south India that are often made with lentils or rice flour, though this one features semolina. They’re usually made in specially designed moulds, but I use a cake tin to make life easier; you could also use lightly oiled round moulds or ramekins. Serve as a snack, for breakfast or as part of a larger spread at any time of day.

Prep 25 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4-6

For the idli
200g fine semolina
30g desiccated coconut
250g Greek-style yoghurt
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (ie, from 1-2 lemons)
Fine sea salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the chutney
115g fresh coconut, roughly chopped
30g fresh coriander
120g Greek-style yoghurt
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 green chilli (10g), roughly chopped (remove and discard the pith and seeds if you prefer less heat)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice (ie, from 1 lime)

For the spiced oil
3 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tbsp extra for greasing
20g pine nuts
10g white sesame seeds
10 fresh curry leaves
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1½ tsp aleppo chilli flakes, or mild chilli flakes
¼ tsp ground kashmiri chilli

First, make the idli batter. Put the semolina, desiccated coconut, yoghurt, lemon juice and 210ml cold water in a medium bowl, add three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, mix well, cover with a plate and leave for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the chutney. Put the fresh coconut, coriander, yoghurt, garlic, green chilli, lime juice and a third of a teaspoon of salt in the small bowl of a food processor, blitz until almost smooth and vibrant green, then scrape into a small bowl.

Grease a 22cm round cake tin and line it with baking paper. Half-fill a steamer with water and bring to a rolling boil. Quickly stir the bicarb into the batter, then pour it into the tin, put it in the steamer and cover (the batter will start to bubble, so make sure you work quickly). Turn down the heat to medium and steam for 22-24 minutes, until the middle of the idli is set. Take off the heat, uncover and set aside forfive minutes. The top of the idli will initially look rather wet, but it will steam dry very quickly.

To make the spiced oil, pour the oil into a small frying pan on a medium heat, add the pine nuts and sesame seeds, and fry, stirring now and then, for two to three minutes, until lightly toasted. Stir in the curry leaves, cook for 30 seconds to a minute, until the leaves turn translucent, then take off the heat and stir in the mustard seeds, the chilli flakes and ground chilli, and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt.

Run a knife all around the edge of the idli and put a large plate on top. Quickly invert to release the idli from the tin, then cut into eight wedges. Spoon over half the oil and serve with the rest of the oil and the chutney in bowls on the side for dipping.

Lemony semolina and almond cookies

These biscuits showcase the texture of semolina when it’s used in baking: they’re somehow light but weighty all at the same time. Once made, they’ll keep in the biscuit tin for up to a week.

Prep 5-10 min
Cook 30 min
Makes 19

50g flaked almonds, lightly broken in a mortar
85g golden caster sugar
100g room-temperature unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes
1 tbsp soured cream
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tsp lemon zest
140g fine semolina
75g ground almonds
2 tbsp cacao nibs
Fine sea salt

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and put the bashed flaked almonds in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, then beat for 30 seconds, until pale and fluffy. Add the soured cream, egg, vanilla and lemon zest, and mix for a few seconds until well incorporated – don’t worry if it seems split: that’s all part of the plan.

Mix in the semolina, ground almonds, cacao nibs and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and work with your hands until it comes together into a dough, taking care not to overwork it. Divide the dough and work it into 19 small balls weighing roughly 25g each. Working one by one, lightly roll each ball through the broken almonds, so they stick to the outside, then arrange them 2cm apart on a large oven tray lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for 22 minutes, until lightly golden and slightly firmed, then remove and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

February 4, 2023

Salsa, pesto and posset: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for cooking with winter fruit | Fruit

Don’t tell my kids but, when the sun’s not out, I’m not that brilliant at eating fruit. A whole piece of fruit, that is, taken from the bowl on the kitchen counter. What I absolutely love to do, however, is cook with it. The application of some heat and some sort of sugar to tease out the sweetness leads to all sorts of irresistibly rich and sticky results. Maybe I will share this secret with my kids, after all.

Roast pears and parsnips with endives and watercress pesto (pictured top)

These sweet but slightly spiced pears and parsnips make a great side dish for a roast. If you like, swap the ricotta salata for pecorino or finely grated halloumi instead.

Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4-6

600g baby parsnips, trimmed and cut in half lengthways
4 conference pears (600g), each cut into 6 wedges, stems and cores removed
2 tbsp maple syrup
1½ tbsp olive oil
1¼ tsp chipotle flakes
Salt and black pepper
1-2 red endives (80g), root trimmed and leaves separated (60g net)
25g ricotta salata, crumbled

For the pesto
80g watercress
75ml olive oil
30ml fresh lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 shallot (30g), peeled and finely chopped

Heat the oven to 220C (200C)/425F/gas 7. Put the parsnips and pears in a large bowl with the maple syrup, olive oil, chipotle flakes and a teaspoon of salt. Mix well, transfer to a large tray lined with greaseproof paper, then bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once gently halfway through, until sticky and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the pesto. Put the watercress in the large bowl of a food processor and blitz, scraping down the sides as you go, until finely chopped. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper, blitz to incorporate, then stir in the shallots.

To assemble, arrange the endive leaves on a large platter and place the roast pears and parsnips on top. Spoon the pesto over the top, then scatter on the ricotta.

Braised lamb neck with persimmon and feta salsa

Persimmons have a really distinct, sweet and perfumed flavour and a texture that feels both firm and giving all at the same time. They’re best eaten at peak ripeness, when the fruit should feel like a slightly under-ripe vine tomato. The salsa also works as a standalone salad.

Prep 25 min
Salt 20 min
Cook 2 hr 30 min
Serves 4

4 lamb neck or shoulder fillets (800g), cut into 4cm pieces
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed lightly
1 onion (180g), peeled and cut into 8 wedges
1 persimmon, stem removed, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
1 red chilli, cut in half lengthway (remove the pith and seeds if you prefer less heat)
1 tbsp thyme leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 cardamom pods, bashed open in a mortar
2 tbsp tomato paste
150ml white wine
300ml chicken stock
3 x 12cm flatbreads, lightly toasted and cut into nacho-sized triangles

For the salsa
1 persimmon, peeled and cut into ½cm-dice
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
1 lemon, zested, to get 1 tsp, and juiced, to get 1 tbsp
¼ tsp urfa chilli flakes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp dill fronds, roughly chopped
75g feta, crumbled into 1cm pieces

First, toss the lamb and a teaspoon of salt in a large bowl and set aside for 20 minutes.

Put a large casserole for which you have a lid on a medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of oil and, once hot, sear the lamb in three or four batches for four to six minutes each, until a deep golden brown on all sides, then return to the bowl.

Pour the remaining tablespoon of oil into the casserole pan, add the garlic, onion, persimmon wedges, chilli, thyme, half a teaspoon of salt and a good crack of black pepper, and cook, stirring, for five minutes,until the persimmon starts to break down. Return the lamb to the pan, stir in the tomato paste and cook for two minutes.

Pour in the wine, cook for another two minutes until the liquid reduces by two-thirds, then add the stock and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 90 minutes. Remove the lid, cook for a further 20 minutes, then take off the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put all the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl and mix gently.

Arrange the flatbread pieces on a large serving dish with a lip, spoon the braised lamb on top and serve scattered with the salsa.

Bitter orange posset with hibiscus granita

Yotam Ottolenghi’s bitter orange posset and hibiscus granita. — Yotam Ottolenghi’s bitter orange posset with hibiscus granita. Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay. Food styling assistant: Kristine Jakobsson.

Make the most of the short, sharp Seville orange season – the fruit’s tart juice is very special indeed – but during the rest of the year, a mix of two parts lime juice to one part regular orange juice and an equal mix of both lime and orange zest will work just fine as a substitute. These quantities will make a bit more granita than you need here, but it keeps well in the freezer for up a month.

Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Chill/freeze Overnight
Serves 8

For the granita
150g caster sugar
10g dried hibiscus, ground to a powder, or the leaves from 3 hibiscus tea bags
350ml Seville orange juice (from 4-5 oranges)
10g mint leaves, finely chopped

For the possets
130g caster sugar
600ml double cream
2 Seville oranges, zested, to get 1 tbsp, and juiced, to get 80ml
Flaked sea salt

First make the granita. Put the sugar, hibiscus and 150ml water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat. Leave to bubble for two minutes, then pour into a freezer-proof container with a lid and whisk in the orange juice. Leave to cool to room temperature, then cover and freeze for two hours.

Use a fork to scrape through the partially frozen mix and break up the ice crystals, then return to the freezer. Repeat the scraping every hour for the next two hours, until the mix resembles crumbly snow. Mix in the mint, then return to the freezer overnight.

Meanwhile, make the possets. Put the sugar and cream in a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, whisking well to combine. Turn down the heat to medium, cook for a minute, whisking constantly, then take off the heat and whisk in the orange zest and juice. Quickly divide the mix between eight small glass tumblers and refrigerate for at least six hours, and preferably overnight.

Next day, scoop a large spoonful of granita on top of each posset, sprinkle over a pinch of salt and serve.

December 19, 2022

Millefeuille and figgy Eton mess: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for alternative Christmas desserts | Food

There are few things more festive than a festive dessert. They offer the most jolly excuse (not that we need one at this time of the year) to pile all sorts of sweet, seasonal flavours into a tart or on to a plate. Caramelised nuts, plates dusted with icing sugar, boozy double cream, cinnamon and allspice, dried fruit … so bring me some figgy pudding (and then some!) indeed!

Piloncillo tart (pictured top)

Piloncillo is an unrefined, dark sugar from Mexico, packed full of organic impurities that give it a complex, molasses flavour that’s similar to jaggery or panela. You can buy it in Latin and South American food shops, but if you can’t get hold of any, use jaggery instead. The dough can be made ahead of time, and even frozen. You will have lots of egg whites left over, which is the perfect excuse to make some snowy-looking, festive meringues (otherwise, freeze them for another time). This tart benefits hugely from a night in the fridge after baking.

Prep 10 min
Chill 1 hr
Cook 2 hr
Rest 1 hr
Serves 12

For the tart case
150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
40g fine cornmeal, or polenta
135g fridge-cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
25g caster sugar
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
Fine sea salt, plus flaked sea salt to finish
50ml fridge-cold whole milk
1 egg yolk
1 tsp double cream

For the filling
220g piloncillo, finely grated, or jaggery or dark brown sugar
50ml Pedro Ximénez, or marsala or madeira
750ml double cream
11 egg yolks
25g caster sugar

First, make the dough. Put the first seven ingredients and a quarter-teaspoon of fine sea salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Tip into a large bowl, then gradually add the milk, mixing constantly, until everything comes together into a dough. Tip out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead gently just to bring it together – it should be slightly tacky, but not stick to your hands. Wrap and chill for at least an hour.

Take the dough out of the fridge, put it on a well-floured work surface and roll out into a 38cm circle about 2mm thick. Loosely roll the pastry around the pin, then carefully lift and place over a 2½cm-deep 28cm fluted tart case. Using your hands, quickly press the dough into the corners and sides of the tin, leaving any overhang. Cover with a large sheet of greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans, then return to the fridge for another hour.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C)/390F/gas 6. Cut any overhanging pastry off the tart case and set aside, then bake the case for 30 minutes, until the edges turn golden. Lift out the paper and beans, use the reserved excess pastry to patch up any holes, then bake for another 20 minutes, until the base is lightly browned. Whisk the egg yolk and cream in a small bowl, brush all over the exposed pastry, then return to the oven for just two minutes more. Remove and leave to cool.

Turn down the oven to 160C (140C fan)/325F/gas 3. Now make the filling. Melt the piloncillo in a large saucepan on a medium-high heat, swirling the pan gently until the sugar is completely liquid. Off the heat, carefully stir in the sherry, then return to a low heat and whisk in the cream.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar and an eighth of a teaspoon of fine sea salt, until smooth, then quickly whisk in a quarter of the hot cream mixture. Pour in the remaining cream mixture, mix to combine, then pass through a sieve back into the pan.

Put the tart case on an oven tray, pour in three-quarters of the custard, then carefully slide the tray into the oven. Pour in the remaining custard so it fills the case all the way up to the top, then bake for 35 minutes, until the custard is set but still wobbly. Remove and leave to cool completely, and serve with a big pinch of sea salt sprinkled over the top.

Caramelised fig Christmas mess

These caramelised figs are inspired by my love for figgy puddings, and give you all the flavour and less of the waiting. Make sure you weigh out all the ingredients first, because the cooking moves along very quickly. If you want to get ahead, make the meringue a day before and store in an airtight container (or use shop-bought ones).

Prep 10 min
Cook 2 hr
Serves 6

160g caster sugar
65g egg whites (ie, from 2 eggs )
⅛ tsp cream of tartar
Fine sea salt
60g unsalted butter, diced
6 fresh black figs, tips removed, then cut in half vertically
½ tsp allspice
2 tbsp whisky
1 tbsp fresh lime juice (ie, from 1-2 limes)
50g creme fraiche
200ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar, plus 1 tsp extra for dusting
4 amaretti biscuits, roughly crumbled
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Scatter 115g of the sugar over an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for 10 minutes. A couple of minutes before the time is up, put the egg whites, cream of tartar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on a medium speed, until frothy.

Take the sugar tray out of the oven and turn down the heat to 120C (100C fan)/250F/gas ½. Turn the mixer speed to low and, using the paper to help you, slowly stream in the warm sugar until it’s all incorporated. Turn the speed back up to high and beat for five or six minutes, until the meringue mix is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Line a 40cm x 30cm oven tray with baking paper and, using a spatula, thinly spread the meringue evenly on top, so it’s about 35cm x 25cm in size. Bake for 80-90 minutes, until completely dried out. Remove and leave to cool, then roughly break into random shards.

Put a medium frying pan on medium-high heat, add 10g butter and, when that’s melted, lay in the figs cut side down and cook for a minute, just until they are lightly coloured. Stir the remaining sugar into the pan, then cook for another 90 seconds, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar is mostly melted and the figs are starting to caramelise. Add the remaining butter and the allspice, swirl again to combine, then cook for a minute more.

Carefully flip over the figs, pour in the whisky and cook for 30 seconds, continuously swirling the pan, until the sauce turns syrupy. Off the heat, stir in the lime juice, then tip the figs and sauce into a bowl and chill for 10 minutes, until cool but not set.

Meanwhile, put the creme fraiche, double cream and a tablespoon of icing sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk and beat on a medium-high for two to three minutes, until they form soft, fluffy peaks.

To serve, spoon a large dollop of the cream on to six individual plates. Top with two fig halves and decorate with a few shards of meringue. Sprinkle some amaretti crumbs and thyme on top, then put the final teaspoon of icing sugar in a small sieve and dust over each plate.

Chestnut and pecan millefeuille

All the various elements can be made ahead of time, ready to be assembled just before serving. Keep the cream in the fridge, the baked puff pastry well wrapped and the nuts in an airtight container. To make it child-friendly, omit the rum and coffee.

Prep 30 min
Cook 35 min
Assembly 15 min
Serves 8

2 x 320g packs ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
2 tbsp icing sugar

For the chestnut cream
400ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 egg yolks (save the whites for another use)
20g cornflour
75g caster sugar
⅛ tsp flaked salt
40g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
200g sweet chestnut puree – I like the one by Clement Faugier
1½ tbsp rum or brandy (optional)
330ml double cream

For the sticky pecans
150g pecans, roughly chopped
15g unsalted butter
1½ tbsp maple syrup
¼ tsp flaked salt

For the coffee dusting (optional)
1 tbsp ground coffee
1 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Unroll one puff pastry sheet on a clean work surface, then roll it out to a slightly thinner 26cm x 38cm rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut this in half widthways, then carefully lift the two rectangles one by one on to a large, flat oven tray lined with greaseproof paper. Repeat with half the remaining pastry sheet (save the rest for another use) and put that on a second paper-lined tray. Refrigerate the pastry trays for 10 minutes, just to firm up, then prick the three rectangles all over with a fork. Dust both sides of each rectangle with a teaspoon of icing sugar (I do this with a small sieve), then cover with a large sheet of greaseproof paper. Put a tray on top and weigh it down with a heavy ovenproof tray or pan.

Bake for 25 minutes, then lift off the weights and top sheet of paper, and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Carefully lift the pastry rectangles off the trays and on to a large rack (or racks) and leave to cool for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the chestnut cream. Put the milk and vanilla bean paste in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil on a medium-high heat. Put the egg yolks, cornflour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and whisk smooth. Pour in a quarter of the hot milk mix, whisk to incorporate, then, still whisking, pour in the rest of the milk. Sieve the mixture back into the pan, put on a medium-low heat and cook for two to three minutes, until it thickens enough to hold its shape when you stir it. Take off the heat, mix in the butter and scrape on to a medium tray lined with greaseproof paper. Cover, ideally with reusable wrap, leave to cool for 10 minutes, then chill for 30 minutes.

Once cool, put the cream mixture in a large bowl and stir in the chestnut puree and a tablespoon of rum, if using. Whisk the double cream to soft peaks, fold a third of this into the chestnut cream, then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, to set.

Now make the sticky pecans. Put the nuts and butter in a medium frying pan and cook on a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for six to seven minutes, until toasted. Stir in the maple syrup and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, cook for another minute, until sticky, then tip out on to a tray and leave to cool.

Mix all the ingredients for the coffee dusting, if using, in a small bowl.

To assemble, spread a spoonful of the chestnut mixture on a large, flat platter and lay one sheet of pastry on top. Gently spoon over half the remaining chestnut mixture and spread it out evenly. Using a small sieve, dust the top with the coffee dusting, until the cream layer is covered, then scatter over half the pecans. Lay a second sheet of pastry on top and repeat, then put the third pastry sheet on top.

Stir the remaining half-tablespoon of rum into the remaining cream, swirl the cream over the top pastry sheet and sieve over the remaining coffee dust. Cut the millefeuille into rectangles – use a sharp serrated knife, ideally – and serve.

September 26, 2022

Steamed bream, herby pasta: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for 30-minute meals | Food

For some, a 30-minute meal is a super-quick fix. For others, it’s a longer than they usually spend making dinner. For me, however, whether it’s midweek or when we have friends over at the weekend, it’s pretty much where I’m at. On the one hand, 30 minutes is no time at all – it’s an episode of something quick on TV, a podcast listen or a catch-up with a buddy on the phone – but it’s also enough time to make something special. And, if I’m feeling really organised, I’ll call a friend or listen to a podcast while I’m cooking, so I’m smashing it, or at least feel as if I am, before supper’s even served.

Steamed bream, red bulgur and spicy pine nuts (pictured top)

A well-stocked pantry will mean you’ll have to buy only minimal ingredients for this. That said, if you don’t have what’s listed below, you can sub them with alternatives: almonds or walnuts, say, instead of the pine nuts, cherry tomatoes instead of baby plums, and so on.

Prep 5 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped (180g)
150g baby plum tomatoes
Fine sea salt
¼ tsp chipotle flakes
250g coarse bulgur wheat
250ml light coconut milk
½ vegetable stock cube, crumbled (or 1½ tsp bouillon powder)
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 sustainably sourced sea bream fillets, skinned
3 tbsp (10g) picked coriander leaves, roughly chopped

For the quick-pickled shallots
1 large banana shallot, peeled and cut into thin rounds (50g)
2 tsp lime juice
⅛ tsp caster sugar

For the spicy pine nuts
1 tbsp pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp chipotle flakes

Put a large, nonstick frying pan for which you have a lid on a medium-high heat. Add the oil, onion, tomatoes and a half-teaspoon of salt, and fry, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, until the onions turn translucent and the tomatoes start to break down.

Stir in the chipotle, fry for two minutes, then add the bulgur and toast for two minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, then stir in the stock cube, tomato paste and 200ml water, turn down the heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put a small frying pan on a medium-high heat, add all the spicy pine nut ingredients and fry gently, stirring often, for four to six minutes, until the garlic turns golden. Tip into a small, heatproof bowl and set aside to cool slightly (make the nuts well in advance, if you like).

Sprinkle an eighth of a teaspoon of salt in total over the flesh side of the fish fillets. Take the lid off the bulgur pot, give it a good stir, then lay the fillets skinned side up on top. Cover again, leave to cook for five minutes, then take off the heat and leave to rest, still covered, for two minutes. Finish with a heavy grind of pepper.

While the fish is cooking, mix all the quick pickle ingredients in a small bowl and set aside for five minutes.

Scatter the shallots on top of the fish, spoon over the pine nuts and their oil, sprinkle with the coriander and serve.

Olive salsa verde and golden raisin pasta

Yotam Ottolenghi’s salsa verde golden raisin and olive pasta. — Yotam Ottolenghi’s olive salsa verde and golden raisin pasta.

Inspired by Sicilian pastas, which contrast the sweet and the savoury, this is quick, easy and very versatile. A fridge and cupboard raid will make for countless variations – the addition of some tinned fish would be very welcome, for example.

Prep 10 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4

360g trofie, or any other short, dry pasta such as penne
⅛ tsp saffron
3 tbsp golden raisins
1 tbsp lemon juice

For the almond pangrattato
30g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
4 tsp olive oil
45g panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
Fine sea salt and black pepper

For the salsa verde
20g mint leaves
20g parsley leaves
20g basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp capers
80g pitted green olives, roughly torn into quarters
1 tbsp good white-wine vinegar
75ml olive oil

For the pangrattato, put a large frying pan on a medium-high heat, add the almonds and a teaspoon of olive oil, and toast, stirring frequently, for three minutes, until golden brown. Add the breadcrumbs, the remaining tablespoon of oil and a good grind of pepper, and toast, stirring constantly, for four minutes more, until a deep, golden colour. Tip into a medium bowl, stir in the lemon zest and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

For the salsa verde, put all the herbs on a board and chop finely. Add the garlic and capers, and repeat until very finely chopped. Scrape into a large bowl, add the olives, vinegar, oil, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and mix well.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and saffron, and cook for six minutes (or four minutes less than the packet instructions say for al dente). Drop in the raisins, cook for two minutes more, until plump, then drain and reserve 50ml of the cooking water.

Return the pasta to the dry pan, put it on a low heat and stir in the salsa, reserved pasta water and lemon juice. Divide between four shallow bowls and serve scattered with the pangrattato.

Brothy beans with roast mushrooms and chive salsa

Yotam Ottolenghi’s brothy beans with roasted mushrooms and chive salsa. — Yotam Ottolenghi’s brothy beans with roast mushrooms and chive salsa.

This is a great weekday lunch or dinner. If you like, swap the butter beans for any tinned beans you have to hand. Serve as it is, or with plenty of crusty bread or fluffy rice.

Prep 10 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 6

10g dried porcini
500g mixed mushrooms, cut in half – I used king oyster, oyster, chestnut and shiitake
150g shallots, peeled and cut in half (150g)
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper

For the beans
2 tbsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained (470-480g net)
1½ tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp wholegrain mustard

For the salsa
40g chives, roughly chopped
25g parsley, hard stems discarded, soft stems and leaves roughly chopped
1½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
90ml olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice

Heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9. Put the porcini in a heatproof jug, cover with 300ml just-boiled water and leave to soak for five minutes.

Meanwhile, put the fresh mushrooms, shallots and thyme on a large oven tray lined with greaseproof paper, add three tablespoons of olive oil, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and toss to coat. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway, until golden and slightly charred.

While the mushrooms are roasting, get on with the beans. Put a small saute pan on a medium-high heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic and saute for a minute, until fragrant. Carefully spoon in the soaked porcini, taking care not to add any sediment at the bottom of the jug, and cook, stirring occasionally, for two minutes. Using a fine sieve, strain in the porcini liquid and leave to cook for another seven minutes. Stir in the butter beans and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, cook for another three minutes, then take off the heat and stir in a tablespoon and a half of lemon juice and the mustard.

To make the salsa, put the chives, parsley, cumin seeds, garlic and olive oil in the small bowl of a food processor, blitz until almost smooth, then scrape into a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and set aside.

To assemble the dish, spoon the beans on to a large platter with a lip. Scatter a third of the salsa on top, swirling it in slightly, then arrange the roast mushroom and shallot mixture on top. Spoon over another third of the salsa and serve with the remaining salsa on the side.

September 12, 2022

Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for preserving summer fruit and vegetables | Food

Pickling, salting, fermenting and curing are just a few of the many ways humankind has learned to extend a food’s shelf life. I’m not one for goodbyes at the best of times, so happily this means I never really have to part with my favourite fruit and vegetables; instead, I get to enjoy them in a different guise. Whereas fresh produce needs very little doing to it, the art of preserving lends itself to bigger, louder, funkier flavours. The ingredients get to know each other in whatever controlled environment we’ve put them and, somehow, they transform into wonderfully intense spoonfuls of deliciousness. And that, I’d say, is a definite win.

Peppered chicken and pickled watermelon salad (pictured top)

This dish delivers on multiple fronts: salt and spice from the peppered chicken and sweet and sharp from the pickled watermelon. Store any excess pickle in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to two weeks, and use to spoon on salads or grilled meat.

Prep 25 min
Pickle 12 hr
Cook 15 min
Serves 2 as a light meal

For the watermelon
1.3kg watermelon, rind removed, flesh cut into 2cm cubes (850g)
1 jalapeño chilli (10g), cut into 3mm-thick rounds (if you prefer less heat, remove and discard the pith and seeds)
170g caster sugar
125ml red-wine vinegar
2 camomile tea bags
2 tbsp mint leaves
Fine sea salt and black pepper

For the chicken
2 tsp mixed peppercorns – green, white, red and black, ideally, coarsely crushed in a mortar
⅛ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, coarsely crushed in a mortar (optional)
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
1 banana shallot, peeled and cut into thin rounds (40g)
45g watercress
1 lime, halved

Put the diced watermelon, jalapeño and sugar in a large, sterilised jar, give it a gentle shake to coat, then leave to macerate for 20 minutes. Add the vinegar, tea bags, mint, a teaspoon of salt and 175ml water and cover with a piece of greaseproof paper. Seal the jar and refrigerate overnight.

Now for the chicken. Combine all the ground peppercorns in a medium bowl, and set aside a quarter-teaspoon of the mix. Add the flour and a half-teaspoon of salt to the remaining ground peppercorns.

Put the oil in a medium frying pan on a high heat. Sandwich each chicken thigh between two sheets of greaseproof paper and use a rolling pin to bash it out to ½cm thick. Coat the chicken in the pepper-flour mixture, then lay them one by one in the hot pan and fry for three minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a board, sprinkle an eighth of a teaspoon of salt over them all, and leave to rest.

Return the frying pan to a medium-high heat and add 200ml of the watermelon pickling liquid; drain 175g of the pickle solids and set aside. Cook down the pickling liquid for five minutes, until it turns orange and syrupy and has reduced by four-fifths, then take off the heat.

Meanwhile, mix the shallot, watercress and the drained watermelon pickle, then transfer to a large plate with a lip. Cut each chicken thigh at an angle into four slices and arrange on top. Spoon over the reduced syrup, sprinkle on the reserved quarter-teaspoon of ground peppercorns and serve with the lime halves for squeezing over.

Confit fenugreek aubergines

Confit is a great way to store baby aubergines so they can be enjoyed into autumn and winter. I like them with some soft cheese or yoghurt. The flavoursome spiced oil, incidentally, makes a great finishing touch for all sorts of roast vegetables and salads.

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 40 min
Serves 4-6

750g baby aubergines – I used the round variety, but the long, skinny kind will also work
400ml olive oil, plus 2 tsp extra
Fine sea salt
11 garlic cloves, skin on
3 red chillies, cut in half lengthways
1½ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp ground kashmiri chilli, or paprika
5 sprigs fresh oregano
5 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ tsp caster sugar

Cut a cross in the base of each aubergine, going down all the way through to the stem but not cutting right through (you want it still attached). Rub the aubergines all over with the two extra teaspoons of oil, then sprinkle over three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, making sure some gets inside the cuts.

Set a griddle pan on a high heat and, once it’s hot, grill the aubergines in two batches for two to three minutes, turning often, until the skins are nicely charred all over. You don’t want the skin to be burnt or to cook the flesh too much; the aubergines should be slightly softened but still raw. Transfer the charred aubergines to a deep, 15cm x 20cm baking dish.

Heat the oven to 160C (140C fan)/315F/gas 2½. Pour the remaining 400ml oil into the aubergine dish, add the garlic, chillies, fenugreek seeds, kashmiri chilli, oregano, thyme, sugar and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, cover tightly with foil and bake for 90 minutes, gently turning the aubergines with tongs every half-hour. By the end, they should be soft but still retain their shape.

Remove from the oven, uncover and leave to cool completely. Once cool, gently spoon the aubergines, aromatics and oil into a sterilised glass jar and seal with an airtight lid.

Serve warm or at room temperature as part of a meze platter. Once jarred, they will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

Dutch baby with fig preserve and soured cream

Yotam Ottolenghi’s Dutch baby with fig preserve and sour cream. — Yotam Ottolenghi’s dutch baby with fig preserve and soured cream.

When figs are at their best, it’s very hard not to eat them all immediately. Preserving them, however, will extend the joy they bring, especially when spooned on to a massive, yorkshire pudding-like pancake, AKA a dutch baby. Any leftover preserve will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Cool 2 hr
Serves 2-4

For the preserve
10 fresh black figs (430g), stems removed and cut in half lengthways
130g blackberries
175g caster sugar
2 fresh bay leaves
1 lemon – zest pared off in 6 fine strips, then juiced, to get 2½ tbsp

For the batter
20g unsalted butter, melted, plus 15g extra butter at room temperature
120ml whole milk, at room temperature
100g plain flour
20g coarse polenta
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ tbsp caster sugar
¼ tsp salt, plus 1 pinch extra for the cream

For the cream
100ml double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
3 tbsp soured cream
15g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

First make the preserve. Put the first four ingredients in a medium saucepan, add 150ml water and the lemon zest, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, taking care not to crush the fruit. Once the liquid has reduced to a loose syrup, take off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, then spoon into a sterilised jar and leave to cool. Once cool, seal and refrigerate.

Put all the batter ingredients bar the extra 15g room temperature butter in a blender, blitz for 30 seconds, until smooth, then leave to rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the double cream, a tablespoon of icing sugar and a pinch of salt in a stand mixer and whisk to soft peaks on high speed for 60 seconds. Stir in the soured cream and refrigerate.

Heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9 and put in a 22cm, high-sided, ovenproof frying pan to heat up for about 10 minutes. Carefully take out the hot pan, drop in the extra 15g butter and swirl it around so it melts and covers the base. Working quickly, pour in the batter, then return the pan to the oven and bake for 18 minutes, until puffed up and golden.

Remove, then spoon 175g fig preserve into the well in the centre. Spoon the cream mix alongside, dust with the final tablespoon of icing sugar, sprinkle over the nuts and serve while it’s still hot.