Ottolenghi Simple Page 6
flaked sea salt and black pepper
1⅔ cups/350g extra-thick Greek-style yogurt, fridge-cold
1 tsp Urfa chile flakes (or ½ tsp other crushed red pepper flakes)
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the tomatoes in a mixing bowl with the olive oil, cumin, sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano sprigs, lemon strips, ½ tsp of flaked salt, and a good grind of pepper. Mix to combine, then transfer to a baking sheet just large enough—about 6 x 8 inches/15 x 20cm—to fit all the tomatoes together snugly. Place the sheet about 2 inches/5cm beneath the broiler and roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to blister and the liquid is bubbling. Turn the oven to the broil setting and broil for 6–8 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blacken on top.
While the tomatoes are roasting, combine the yogurt with the grated lemon zest and ¼ tsp of flaked salt. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Once the tomatoes are ready, spread the chilled yogurt on a platter (with a lip) or in a wide, shallow bowl, creating a dip in it with the back of a spoon. Spoon the hot tomatoes on top, along with their juices, lemon strips, garlic, and herbs, and finish with the oregano leaves and chile flakes. Serve at once.
Tomato, chard, and spinach with toasted almonds
This is perfect served in all sorts of ways: warm as it is, along with some steamed rice, or sprinkled with feta. It’s also good as an accompaniment to chicken or fish, served warm or at room temperature.
Once cooked, this can be kept for up 1 day in the fridge, just bring back to room temperature or warm through before serving, adding the almonds at the last minute.
Serves six as a side
¼ cup/60ml olive oil
½ cup/50g sliced almonds
½ tsp paprika
1½ tsp caraway seeds
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 (14.5 oz/400g) cans plum tomatoes
1 lb 2oz/500g Swiss chard, stalks thinly sliced and leaves roughly chopped
salt
4½ oz/130g spinach, roughly shredded
2 limes: finely zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 2 tbsp
1¾ cups/35g mint, roughly chopped
1¾ cups/35g dill, roughly chopped
8 green onions, chopped into ½-inch/1cm pieces (1 cup/80g)
Place a large sauté pan with a lid, over medium heat with 2 tbsp of the oil, the almonds, and paprika. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until the almonds are golden brown, then transfer to a bowl, discarding the oil once cooled.
Return the pan to medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add the caraway and garlic and fry for 1 minute, until they start to sizzle and brown. Add the tomatoes with their juice, chard, and ¾ tsp of salt and stir through, crushing the tomatoes as you go. Cover the pan and continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring every once in a while, until the chard wilts and the tomatoes break down. Remove from the heat, stir in the spinach, lime zest, lime juice, the mint, dill, and green onions. Serve with the almonds sprinkled on top.
Fried broccoli and kale with garlic, cumin, and lime
You can blanch the broccoli and kale well ahead of time here—a good few hours. Once half-cooked, and then refreshed and dried, it’s ready for the final fry before serving. Doing this little bit of prep turns the dish into one that can get to the table in just over 5 minutes.
Serves six as a side
1 large head of broccoli, cut into 1¼–1½ inch/3–4cm florets (3 cups/300g)
12¼ oz/350g curly kale, tough stems discarded and leaves torn into pieces (3¾ cups/250g)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp Urfa chile flakes (or 1 tsp other crushed red pepper flakes)
salt
½ cup/10g mint leaves, roughly shredded
1 tbsp lime juice
Place a large saucepan filled with plenty of salted water over high heat. Once boiling, add the broccoli and blanch for 90 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove the broccoli, then refresh under plenty of cold water and dry well. Keep the water at a boil and add the kale. Blanch for 30 seconds, then drain and refresh. Squeeze out as much water from the kale as you can with a clean kitchen towel and set aside.
Put the oil into a large sauté pan and place over high heat. Add the garlic and cumin and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring a few times, until the garlic is a light golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and set aside. Add the kale to the oil—take care, it might spatter at the beginning—and fry for 3–4 minutes, until the leaves are starting to crisp. Add the broccoli, 1 tsp chile flakes, and ¼ tsp of salt. Stir through for a minute, then transfer to a large plate or dish. Gently mix in the mint and drizzle with the lime juice. Serve with the remaining 1 tsp chile flakes and the crisp garlic sprinkled on top.
Broccolini with soy sauce, garlic, and peanuts
This is also lovely with (an equal quantity of) choy sum, if you prefer, instead of the broccolini. If you use choy sum it’ll only need 1½ minutes of steaming. This is good as a side to all sorts of things—any roasted bird, for example—as it is with a bowl of steamed rice.
Serves four as a side
3 tbsp peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1¼-inch/3cm piece of ginger, peeled and julienned (2½ tbsp)
1 orange, peel finely shaved to get 3 strips
3 tbsp salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 lb 3 oz/550g broccolini, trimmed and cut in half crosswise if the stems are thick
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1½ tsp honey
salt
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, orange strips, and peanuts and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic and nuts are light golden brown. Transfer to a small bowl (along with all of the oil) to stop them cooking and set aside.
Place a steamer insert in a stockpot and fill with just enough water so it doesn’t touch the steaming basket. Place over high heat and, once boiling, add the broccolini. Cover and steam for 4–5 minutes, until cooked. Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving plate, and set aside.
Return the saucepan you cooked the peanuts in to high heat—don’t worry about wiping it clean—and add the soy sauce, honey, and ⅛tsp of salt. Heat for about 1 minute; it should reduce to about 1½ tbsp of sauce. Spoon 2 tbsp of the infused oil over the broccolini, along with the peanuts and aromatics. Add the reduced soy sauce mixture, give everything a gentle mix, and serve.
Roast cabbage with tarragon and pecorino
Pictured on this page
This is served at room temperature so that the pecorino keeps its texture and flavor. It’s perfect alongside a roast chicken or vegetables, along with mashed potatoes.
Serves four as a side
½ cup/120ml olive oil
2 extra-large lemons: finely zest to get 2 tbsp, then juice to get 2 tbsp
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and black pepper
2 Napa cabbages, outer leaves discarded, then cut lengthwise into eighths (12 cups/1kg)
½ cup/10g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
1 oz/30g pecorino, shaved
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon zest, garlic, ¼ tsp of salt, and a good grind of pepper. Set aside 2 tbsp.
Put the cabbage into a large bowl and season with ⅛ tsp of salt. Pour the oil mixture over the cabbage (the reserved 2 tbsp will be used later) and toss well to coat. Arrange on two parchment-lined baking sheets and roast for 20–25 minutes (rotating the sheets halfway through so that each sheet gets time near the top), until the edges are crisp and golden brown. Transfer the cabbag
e to a large platter and set aside for 5–10 minutes or so to cool slightly.
Add the lemon juice to the reserved 2 tbsp oil mixture and drizzle evenly over the cabbage pieces. Scatter the tarragon and pecorino over the top, add a good grind of pepper, and serve.
Mustard-marinated kale with asparagus
There’s a little bit of massaging and marinating here, but you can do this up to 4 hours in advance of serving, if you like. Just don’t mix everything together until the last minute. Frozen shelled edamame are, happily, widely available in supermarkets.
Serves four to six as a side
3 tbsp sunflower seeds
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1½ tsp maple syrup
salt and black pepper
9 oz/250g kale,stems discarded, leaves torn roughly into 1½–2-inch/4–5cm pieces (3 cups/200g)
3 tbsp olive oil
1½ tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp whole-grain mustard
1 lb 2 oz/500g asparagus, woody ends trimmed (10 oz/300g)
4¼ oz/120g frozen shelled edamame, defrosted
½ cup/10g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup/5g dill, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix the sunflower and pumpkin seeds with ½ tsp of maple syrup, ⅛ tsp of salt, and a good grind of pepper. Spread out on a small parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, until the seeds are golden brown. Set aside for about 30 minutes; the seeds will stick together as they cool and crisp up, but can then be broken into 1-inch/2½cm pieces.
Put the kale into a large bowl with the remaining 1 tsp of maple syrup, 2 tbsp of the oil, the vinegar, mustard, and ¼ tsp of salt. Mix together well, using your hands to massage the kale for about 1 minute, until it softens and takes on the flavors of the marinade. Set aside for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours, if you want to get ahead).
Put the remaining 1 tbsp of oil into a large frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and ⅛ tsp of salt and fry for 6 minutes, turning over throughout so that all sides start to brown and soften. Set aside to cool, then slice on an angle into 1½-inch/4cm pieces.
When ready to serve, add the asparagus, edamame, tarragon, and dill to the kale and mix well. Spread out on a large platter, sprinkle with the seeds, and serve.
Roasted asparagus with almonds, capers, and dill
This is a dish that my husband, Karl, cooks at home a lot on the weekend. He tends to be a bit more liberal on the butter front with his asparagus—what are weekends for, after all! And he is Irish! I’ve kept quantities just a little bit in check here.
Serves four as a side
1 lb 5 oz/600g asparagus, woody ends trimmed (14 oz/400g)
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup/20g sliced almonds
3 tbsp baby capers (or regular capers), dried with a paper towel
½ cup/10g dill, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Mix the asparagus with 1 tbsp of oil, a generous pinch of salt, and a good grind of pepper. Arrange on a large parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced well apart, and roast for 8–12 minutes (timing will vary depending on the thickness of the stalks), until the asparagus is soft and starting to brown in places. Transfer to a large serving plate and set aside.
Put the butter into a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the almonds and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the almonds are golden brown. Pour the almonds and butter evenly over the asparagus.
Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil to the saucepan and place over high heat. Once hot, add the capers and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously, until they have opened up and become crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the capers from the oil and sprinkle them over the asparagus, along with the dill. Discard the oil and serve warm.
Cavolo nero with chorizo and preserved lemon
This delivers in so many ways: all the goodness of hearty dark green cavolo nero (also known as lacinato kale), all the pops of surprise from the preserved lemon, and all the tastiness that chorizo will always bring. The result can be served either as a stand-alone tapas or as a side to all sorts of grilled or roasted meat.
Serves four as a side
1 tbsp olive oil
2 fresh chorizo cooking sausages, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch/1cm rounds (1¼ cups/150g)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 lb 5 oz/600g cavolo nero (lacinato kale), leaves pulled off stems, stems discarded, leaves roughly chopped into 1½-inch/4cm strips and rinsed (5⅓ cups/360g)
2 tbsp water
salt and black pepper
2 small preserved lemons, seeds discarded, skin and flesh roughly chopped (¼ cup/40g)
1 tbsp lemon juice
⅓ cup plus 2 tbsp/100g sour cream
Put the oil into a large sauté pan with a lid and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chorizo and fry for 3–4 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, until starting to brown. Stir in the paprika, then, using a slotted spoon, lift the chorizo and garlic out of the oil and place in a small bowl.
Add the cavolo nero to the pan, in three or four additions, stirring it into the oil. Once all the leaves have been added, add the water, ¼ tsp of salt, and plenty of pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, covered, stirring once or twice to help the leaves wilt. Remove the lid and continue to fry for 5–6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated and the leaves are cooked but still retain a slight bite and are starting to brown.
Return the chorizo and garlic to the pan, along with the preserved lemon and lemon juice. Stir through, then remove from the heat and add the sour cream. Fold through, to combine, then divide among four bowls or place on one large platter.
Quick okra with sweet-and-sour dressing
Pictured on this page, left
Anyone who loves okra will never stop trying to convert those who think they don’t love okra to the vegetable. Anyone put off by its sliminess (which results from it being chopped up and cooked) really should be open-minded here. The okra remains whole and is barely cooked, so the result is the opposite of what you might imagine. This is a lovely side to all sorts of dishes—it’s perfect alongside the Whole roasted sea bass with soy sauce and ginger (this page)—or as it is, with a bowl of plain rice.
Serves four as a side
1½ lb/700g okra, stems trimmed (be careful not to expose the seeds, as this will make the dish “slimy”)
3 tbsp peanut oil (or other mild oil)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and black pepper
1 red chile, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tsp maple syrup
1 large lime: finely zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 1½ tbsp
½ tsp sesame oil
¾ cup/15g cilantro, roughly chopped
⅓ cup/40g salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped, to serve
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the okra in a large bowl with 2 tbsp of oil, the garlic, ¾ tsp of salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Spread out on two parchment-lined baking sheets—you don’t want them to be overcrowded—and roast for 7 minutes, until just slightly cooked but still firm and bright green in color. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Place the remaining 1 tbsp of oil in a large bowl with the chile, maple syrup, lime zest, lime juice, sesame oil, and ⅛ tsp salt. Mix to combine, then, just before serving, add the okra and cilantro. Mix really well—the dressing tends to sink to the bottom of the bowl and you don’t want to lose any of it—the
n transfer to a serving bowl.
Sprinkle the roasted peanuts over the top and serve.
Garry’s stir-fried cabbage with garlic and chile
Pictured on this page, right
This is, as my friend Garry Bar-Chang showed me when he was cooking up a Taiwanese feast, a very easy way to eat a lot of cabbage. The secret lies in there being lots of chile, lots of garlic, and lots of stir-frying.
Serves four as a side
2½ tbsp sunflower oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced (3 tbsp)
2 red chiles, seeded and cut into roughly ¾-inch/2cm pieces
5 green onions, cut on an angle into 1¼-inch/3cm pieces
1 Napa cabbage, leaves separated and roughly torn in half (1 lb 3 oz/550g)
salt
1 lime, quartered, to serve
Put the oil into a large sauté pan or wok and place over high heat. Once hot, add the garlic and chiles and fry for 1 minute, stirring continuously, until the garlic starts to turn golden. Add the green onions and cook for another 2 minutes, continuing to stir.
Add the cabbage in stages (it shrinks as it cooks down), along with ¾ tsp salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the cabbage is cooked and soft but still retains a bite. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes before serving, along with the wedges of lime.