Simple Tips to Make Healthy Vegetables Taste As Good As Meat

Simple Tips to Make Healthy Vegetables Taste As Good As Meat
  • Very simple tips can enable you try to eat your veggies for a for a longer period lifetime with no sacrificing flavor. 
  • Researcher Dan Buettner has examined flavorful recipes from parts of the globe where individuals dwell for a longer period than most. 
  • He said ingredients like miso, oil, and spices aid supply umami taste so you would not pass up meat.

If you happen to be hoping to eat additional veggies for your overall health, but dread the flavor, think about cooking like some of the longest residing persons on the planet. 

So-termed Blue Zones are parts of the entire world the place folks are living the longest, healthiest residing, like regions in Greece, Italy, Costa Rica, and the US. 

A lot of residents there are masters of earning tasty, healthy foods from very simple plant meals like greens, beans, and total grains, according to Dan Buettner, a researcher who pioneered the principle of Blue Zones. 

“The excellent untold magic formula is there’s a culinary treasure trove of foodstuff that are disregarded considering that the the greater part of food items in our grocery retail outlet is junk,” he explained to Insider in an job interview about his new reserve “The Blue Zones American Kitchen area: 100 Recipes to Reside to 100.” 

In its place, he implies creating plant-primarily based foods just as tasty as juicy cheeseburger or excellent steak working with techniques mastered in areas of the planet known as Blue Zones where men and women routinely reside to be 100 or older.

“What we have accomplished is harness countless numbers of a long time of culinary trial and error with individuals who know how to use herbs, spices, and oils,” Buettner said.  

Loaded, savory seasonings can make plant-centered foodstuff delightful

Veggies are frequently stereotyped as bland due to the fact they from time to time deficiency the savory taste profile known as “umami” that meat by natural means has. 

“‘Meat and potatoes cooking is a lazy shortcut. It’s not quite tough to acquire a slab of meat, fry it in a pan, and make it tasty,” Buettner reported. 

But meat-absolutely free foods like miso, mushrooms, or seaweed can give a “tsunami of umami,” particularly when combined with herbs, spices, and sesame or olive oil for richness, Buettner claimed. 

He mentioned 1 of the most tasty and unforgettable meals he had when performing on his hottest book was an okra dish, made by chef (and historian) BJ Dennis who specializes in the delicacies of his ancestors, the Gullah Geechee. 

The dish (“Butter Beans With Benne Seeds and Okra”) is highlighted in Buettner’s new e book, and prepared with fermented sesame seeds and warm peppers to increase an rigorous depth of taste. 

“It was loaded with umami, had a ideal harmony of acid and warmth, you acquire a bite and cry tears of joy,” he mentioned. “It really is produced in just one pot, normally takes 20 minutes, and could be served in a Michelin restaurant, but it fees significantly less than a dollar for every serving.” 

Wholesome foods isn’t going to have to be pricey, exotic, or hard to make

An additional misunderstanding is that wholesome, plant-based food is high-priced, hard to find, or time-consuming to put together, but Buettner reported some of the ideal vegan ingredients are low-cost and greatly obtainable. 

Food items like beans, rice, and greens are staples of plant-dependent Blue Zones  eating. 

You also do not have to abide by any one model of cooking, in accordance to Buettner. Although the Mediterranean diet regime has grow to be progressively common for longevity, evidence implies other eating plans can be just as healthful.

As a consequence, you can consume balanced according to your own (or cultural) tastes, regardless of what flavors, herbs, or amount of spiciness you appreciate. 

“It’s a lot more about the components rather than the delicacies,” Buettner explained. 

Even picky eaters can love nutritious foodstuff with the right seasonings and recipes

You really don’t have to mature up feeding on vegan food to recognize it, both. Buettner claimed he was born and raised in Minnesota on a diet regime of meat, potatoes, and processed foods. He went plant-primarily based much more than a ten years in the past immediately after hearing a health practitioner explain what having meat does to the arteries. 

To see if his Blue Zones plant-dependent recipes would appeal to the typical American palate, Buettner claimed he analyzed them on his father’s regular Midwestern preferences. His dad permitted of all the 100 recipes in his latest guide, a testament to the compelling flavors of plant-centered cooking. 

“Individuals are scared plant-based food items will be be bland since our taste buds have been napalmed with meat, cheese, and eggs,” he said. “What you might be performing is just take anything people today imagine is monotonous, and elevating it to one thing transcendent.” 

Olia Hercules’ recipes for Christmas vegetables | Christmas food and drink

Olia Hercules’ recipes for Christmas vegetables | Christmas food and drink

Caramelised cabbage stuffed with mushrooms, onions and chestnuts

This is an impressive vegetarian centrepiece inspired by a recipe in an old book called Moldovan Cuisine, in which the cabbage is braised in stock. I prefer steaming cabbages, especially if using the tender sweetheart (AKA pointed) variety. If your cabbage is very big, you may need to steam it for a little longer than the recipe states: use your instinct here. The filling can be made in advance and frozen, then thawed before being stuffed into the cabbage.

Prep 20 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4

200g chestnut mushrooms
1 medium pointed cabbage
(about 800g)
40g
butter or oil
2 banana shallots
, finely chopped
100g shiitake mushrooms
50g
cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped (or toasted pine nuts or walnuts)

For the sauce
1 small garlic clove, peeled
100ml creme fraiche
Salt and pepper
A pinch of paprika
– I particularly like the smoked stuff

Grate the mushrooms on the rough side of a box grater (this is much easier than chopping them finely). Cut the top 5cm off the sweetheart cabbage and shred it thinly. (If you are using a regular white cabbage, and it is on the large side, cut it in half across the equator – one half will feed four; if yours is a larger party, use both halves and double the filling quantities.)

For the sauce, finely grate the garlic into a bowl, then add the creme fraiche, some salt, pepper and a sprinkle of paprika.

Melt the butter or oil over a medium-low heat, add the shallots and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.

Add the mushrooms and shredded cabbage, and cook for another five to 10 minutes. Season generously, then add the chestnuts (or nuts). The filling should be very well seasoned.

Trim the stalk off the bottom of the cabbage so that it can stand up stably, but do not take off so much that the layers fall apart. Place the cabbage upright in a steamer (if your steamer is not big enough to accommodate it, use a large colander over a pot of boiling water and cover with a lid) and steam for about 15 minutes (or a little longer if your cabbage is large and its leaves are tightly closed together); you need the cabbage to soften enough to make it easy to stuff.

Heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/465F/gas 9. Gently prise the leaves open and generously stuff the filling in between them. Brush the outer leaves and any exposed ones with a little oil, then roast for five minutes. It should be charred and delicious-looking; if you feel it needs more colour, give it another five minutes.

Present whole at the table, then cut it into wedges and serve with the garlicky creme fraiche alongside.

Brussels sprouts in miso butter and honey glaze

Olia Hercules’ sprouts with miso
Olia Hercules’ brussels sprouts in miso butter and honey glaze.

These are inspired by Vichy-style carrots, which are glazed in honeyed butter. If you happen to have any leftovers, they’d make for a very flavourful bubble and squeak.

Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4-6 (as a side)

500g sprouts
40g butter
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp honey
2 sprigs fresh thyme
A pinch of sea salt

If the sprouts are small, leave them be, but cut larger ones in half – I prefer using cut sprouts here, because the miso butter clings to the cut sides more easily.

Put the sprouts and the butter in a wide 20cm frying pan and set over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add four tablespoons of water, cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave to cook on a medium-low heat for five minutes.

Remove the lid, add the miso, honey and thyme, and cook for another five minutes, or until you are happy with their softness – my preference is for sprouts that are easy to cut with a regular butter knife – but use your judgment. If at any point the miso and honey look as if they’re going to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water and deglaze the pan.

When the sprouts are ready, serve immediately or leave them in the pan, ready to reheat quickly later.

Fiona Beckett’s drinks match

Under £10
Chateau Guiot Costières de Nîmes 2019 £9.99 (or £7.99 on “mix six”) Majestic, 13.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}. Warm, generous Côtes du Rhône-like red that would go beautifully with the cabbage – it’s not certified organic, but does take a minimal intervention approach.

Over £10
Monsant Comunica La Pua Blanco Celler Comunica 2019 £17.37 Les Caves de Pyrène, £19 The Good Wine Shop, 13.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}. Orange wine would be a terrific pairing with the stuffed cabbage, and this deeply coloured Spanish white garnacha is a great example.

7 Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cutting Vegetables Faster and Easier

7 Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cutting Vegetables Faster and Easier

We’re going to let you in on a little secret: the key to boosting your vegetable intake is always convenience—the easier it is to eat them, the greater the chances that you actually will. For example, you’re far more likely to snack on some carrots if they’re already cut up, or toss some kale into your smoothie if it’s already chopped. That’s why we recommend investing in some kitchen gadgets that make cutting vegetables fast and easy. Not only can they make slicing, dicing, and chopping veggies hassle-free, but in the process, they just may help you to eat more veggies.

With so many kitchen tools available, though, it can be tough to discern which ones are worth your hard-earned money. Fortunately, we rounded up some of our favorites. Whether you’re prepping a one-pan dinner for your family or a quick lunch salad for one, the following essential kitchen gadgets will help you cut up vegetables in a pinch.

Then, for more cooking tips check out The 9 Kitchen Tools Every Beginner Cook Needs.

1

Spiralizer Seven-Blade Vegetable Slicer

Spiralizer Seven-Blade Vegetable Slicer

Spiralizer Seven-Blade Vegetable Slicer

Having trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies? Or just looking for a way to shake up your vegetable prep? Try using a spiralizer. This ultra-versatile slicer comes with a variety of different blades for slicing everything from zucchini and carrots to sweet potatoes and butternut squash into shredded strands, wide ribbons, or long, spaghetti-like noddles.

And using it is super simple, too. Just insert your chosen vegetable into the device and turn the handle to spiralize it.

Need some meal inspo? This product also comes with an e-book filled with nutritious and delicious spiralizer recipes to get you started.

$26.97 at Amazon

Buy Now

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2

Progressive International Zip Slicer

Progressive International Zip Slicer

Progressive International Zip Slicer

If you’ve ever tried to chop cherry or grape tomatoes, only to get juice squirted into your eye, try this handy gadget for a mess-free alternative.

Just load your tomatoes into the tube, zip the handle, and voilà—all of them will be cleanly sliced in half. As an added safety bonus, there’s a stopper at the end of the device and the blade is protected, meaning you don’t have to worry about your children helping out while you prep dinner.

$20 at Amazon

Buy Now

3

LENK Vegetable Cutter Shapes Set

LENK Vegetable Cutter Shapes Set

LENK Vegetable Cutter Shapes Set

Let’s be real, your kids are way more likely to eat something if it comes in a fun shape. That’s where these unique vegetable cutters come in. With a range of heart, star, animal, and flower shapes, they can be used to cut carrots, cucumbers, beets, and so much more. They also double as fruit and cookie cutters, too.

Thanks to the sturdy stainless steel design, they’re super easy to use. Just press one of the molds on your chosen veggie to cut out the desired shape. Plus, they’re reusable, dishwasher-safe, and a breeze to clean.

Don’t be surprised if your kids want to get in on the fun and cut up their own veggies to pack for school lunches. Anything to make your life easier, right?

$9.99 at Amazon

Buy Now

4

Mueller Multi Blade Adjustable Mandoline

Mueller Multi Blade Adjustable Mandoline

Mueller Multi Blade Adjustable Mandoline

You might be surprised at just how often a mandoline comes in handy—since it allows you to achieve thin, even slices, it’s the key to potatoes gratin, homemade coleslaw, and so much more.

This one stands out for several reasons: it’s fully adjustable, features five interchangeable ultra-sharp stainless steel blades, and is made with non-toxic plastic. Since you can adjust the thickness settings with an easy thumb dial control, it’s versatile enough to serve as a vegetable peeler, onion cutter, and garlic chopper all in one.

$29.97 at Amazon

Buy Now

5

Hamilton Beach Electric Vegetable Chopper&Mini Food Processor

Hamilton Beach Electric Vegetable Chopper & Mini Food Processor

Hamilton Beach Electric Vegetable Chopper & Mini Food Processor

A good food processor is an invaluable time saver because it can dice, chop, or even mash veggies in an instant. And if you don’t have the counter space (or the budget) for a full-size version, consider this affordable mini chopper, which is a tad easier to store but still super powerful thanks to a 350-watt motor.

Compact, quick to assemble, and easy to clean with a dishwasher-safe bowl, it’s sure to simplify the process of whipping up any recipe, like when you want to chop an onion without those dreaded tears. You can even use it to quickly mash up some fresh herbs. The best part? It won’t take up a ton of valuable counter space.

$27.99 at Amazon

Buy Now

6

YD YD XINHUA Kitchen Food Cutter Chopper Clever Kitchen Knife with Cutting Board

YD YD XINHUA Kitchen Food Cutter Chopper Clever Kitchen Knife with Cutting Board

YD YD XINHUA Kitchen Food Cutter Chopper Clever Kitchen Knife with Cutting Board

If salads are a staple in your household, this handy two-in-one gadget is a must. It streamlines the process of chopping veggies while also cutting down on how many dishes you’ll have to clean. All you have to do is hold your chosen vegetable against the built-in cutting board and press the blade downward in a scissor-like cutting motion.

This tool is suitable for a wide range of vegetables, from carrots and onions to celery, tomatoes, carrots, and mushrooms. But you can use it for fruit, meat, cheese, and bread, too.

A locking safety hinge helps to prevent accidental cuts, the sturdy stainless steel blade promises easy chopping, and the plastic handle boasts a comfortable grip. You can also save space by hanging this tool on your kitchen wall, or on a hook inside a cabinet. Plus, since it’s small and lightweight, it’s easy to transport for road trips and picnics.

$11.99 at Amazon

Buy Now

RELATED: 50 Healthy Dinner Recipes That Take 30 Minutes (or Less!)

7

Vidalia Chop Wizard Pro Max

Vidalia Chop Wizard Pro Max

Vidalia Chop Wizard Pro Max

Imagine if you could chop an entire onion or eight garlic cloves in one second flat. Well, with his super versatile tool, that’s totally possible. The Vidalia Chop Wizard Pro Max dices, slices, and chops your veggies with ease, and it comes with three interchangeable blades, depending on how small or large you want to cut your veggies.

Use it to dice peppers and tomatoes for salsas and salads, cut potatoes for homemade French fries, or chop carrots and celery for stews—the possibilities are truly endless. Just place any vegetable (or fruit) onto the blades, close the lid, press down, and watch the chopped veggies empty right into the plastic receptacle that’s attached.

Another benefit is that the container doubles as a measuring cup, and contains an opening for you to easily pour your veggies right into a pan or pot. And when you’re done, the silicone lift tab magically removes any leftover pieces and debris, and the Chop Wizard can be placed right in the dishwasher.

$34.95 at Amazon

Buy Now

Sweetcorn and spicy salad: Joe Woodhouse’s recipes for grilled vegetables | Food

Sweetcorn and spicy salad: Joe Woodhouse’s recipes for grilled vegetables | Food

Barbecue time could have passed, but all grilling – outside or indoor – imparts an addictive smokiness to foodstuff. Today’s Turkish salad utilizes the preliminary strength of the flames I enjoy tumbling veg on to a barbecue (or griddle pan), where by the high heat cooks them rapidly, which helps maintain them juicy. And just about all people loves elotes, a Mexican avenue food of grilled and dressed sweetcorn. Thoughts you, everything is improved cooked about fireplace or scorched.

Grilled elotes (pictured top)

Cooking corn with the husks on assists the kernels to steam internally when grilling, so they stay juicy, but continue to get a superior, smoky flavour. To test if they’re done, carefully peel again 1 of the husks and slice a pair of kernels absolutely free with a small knife if they’re not nonetheless comfortable, basically prepare dinner the corn for a bit for a longer time.

Prep 10 min
Soak 1 hr
Prepare dinner 20 min
Serves 6, as a starter or a side

6 sweetcorn cobs, preferably with husks on
150g parmesan
, finely grated, or blitzed in foodstuff processor
1 tbsp smoked paprika
Sea
salt flakes, to taste
2 limes
, zested, then slash into sections
1 handful new coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely diced
125g mayonnaise

If you’re applying corn with husks, submerge them in chilly h2o for an hour in advance of you commence cooking (this will quit the husks burning or drying out although grilling). Normally, brush each and every cob all in excess of with a tablespoon of oil.

Grill the corn with husks evenly, turning them on a regular basis, for 15-20 minutes (if you’re working with corn devoid of husks, retain them moving to make confident they really do not overcook they will be prepared a great deal a lot quicker than those with husks). If you don’t have a barbecue, a plancha, griddle pan or cast-iron skillet will also perform.

Meanwhile, combine the cheese, paprika, a very good pinch of salt, lime zest and coriander stalks, and scatter evenly on a massive plate.

When the corn cobs are ready, peel back the husks and twist them to trend a makeshift cope with. Brush every single a single evenly with a tablespoon of mayonnaise, then roll them in the cheese combine. Organize on a serving plate and garnish with the coriander leaves and lime. If you want the corn to be more of a side dish, minimize them into sections before plating.

Grilled Turkish salad

Joe Woodhouse’s grilled Turkish salad.
Joe Woodhouse’s grilled Turkish salad.

A excellent, chunky, spicy salad to go with any grill supplying. Regulate the chilli to your flavor, or, after the chilli is grilled, finely mince it and serve on the side for people to add their personal.

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4

3 purple onions, peeled and minimize throughout the equator
4 peppers – a combination of colors, ideally
1-2 crimson chillies
500g tomatoes
15g parsley leaves
, about chopped
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
3 tbsp added-virgin olive oil
Sea salt flakes

Set the peppers, onions (reduce side down), chillies and tomatoes on a barbecue or griddle pan. (Relying on the dimensions of your tomatoes, and the width of the gaps in the grill grate, use your judgment as to no matter if it would be clever to prepare dinner them in a cast-iron pan.)

Cook the peppers and chillies, turning them periodically, for 15-25 minutes. At the time the flesh is delicate and the skins are charred and blackened, transfer to a bowl and protect with a plate, so the skins steam cost-free of the flesh.

When the onions are perfectly charred on their minimize sides, turn them around and do the very same on the other side. As soon as done, peel off and discard any excessively black levels, then quarter the onions and place in a bowl with the parsley, molasses and oil.

Finely chop the skinned chilli, with or devoid of seeds, as you choose, and increase to the onion bowl. When the tomatoes are collapsing, approximately chop them into respectable chunks and increase to the onion blend.

Take away the stalks, pith and most of the seeds from the peppers, then peel away as significantly of the pores and skin as you can (some remaining is not a dilemma, and the identical goes for the seeds). Minimize the peeled peppers into rough quarters, then minimize in 50 percent all over again across the centre and insert to the onion mix. Period with a generous pinch of salt, mix and style, introducing extra salt or molasses as wanted.

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

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

Yotam Ottolenghi’s confit fenugreek aubergines.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s 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.