Ottolenghi Simple Read online

  Whole-roasted celery root with coriander seed oil

  I’ve managed to achieve the seemingly impossible here, of taking a recipe from my NOPI cookbook (full of recipes that would not make it into Ottolenghi SIMPLE) and actually making it more complicated for Ottolenghi SIMPLE. In NOPI, the celery root is roasted whole as it is, for 3 hours, brushed with oil and sprinkled with salt. The results are so delicious and so straightforward that I’ve taken the liberty of adding one more twist in the form of the coriander seeds. The taste is even more wonderful than before. I like to eat it as it is as a starter, cut into wedges and served with a squeeze of lemon or a dollop of crème fraîche, but you can also serve it as a side to a pork chop or steak.

  Serves four as a starter or side

  1 large celery root, hairy roots discarded (no need to trim) unpeeled but scrubbed clean (2½ lb/1.2kg)

  3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve

  1½ tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed

  flaked sea salt

  1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  Pierce the celery root with a small sharp knife all over, about 20 times. Place the celery root in a baking dish and rub generously with the oil, coriander seeds, and 2 tsp flaked salt. Roast for 2½–3 hours, basting every 30 minutes until the celery root is soft all the way through and golden brown on the outside.

  Cut into wedges and serve with a lemon wedge, a sprinkle of salt, and a drizzle of oil.

  Aromatic olive oil mash

  Creamy mash is hard to beat, but I often prefer olive oil–based mashes, especially if the centerpiece of the meal is already very rich. Adding aromatics to your cooking water is a great way to jazz up mash. I’ve used thyme, mint, lemon, and garlic here, but try experimenting with different herbs and spices.

  Get ahead by peeling and cutting the potatoes up to 6 hours in advance if you like. Just keep them in a pot of cold water and drain before starting the recipe.

  Serves four as a side

  2 lb 2 oz/1kg red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1¼-inch/3cm pieces

  6 thyme sprigs

  3 mint sprigs

  4 garlic cloves, peeled

  1 lemon: finely shave the peel to get 5 strips

  salt

  7 tbsp/100ml olive oil

  black pepper

  TOPPING

  ¼ cup/60ml olive oil

  1 garlic clove, crushed

  2 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped

  about 8 mint leaves, finely chopped (to get 2 tsp)

  1 lemon: finely zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 1 tbsp

  salt and black pepper

  Put the potatoes, thyme sprigs, mint sprigs, garlic, lemon strips, and 2 tsp of salt into a large saucepan. Cover with enough boiling water to rise ¾ inch/2cm above the potatoes. Simmer gently for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft enough to mash.

  While the potatoes are boiling, make the topping. Put the oil, garlic, thyme leaves, mint leaves, lemon zest, and lemon juice into a small bowl with ⅛ tsp of salt, and a good grind of pepper. Stir to combine, and set aside.

  Drain the potatoes into a colander set over a large bowl (you’ll use some of the cooking water later, so don’t throw it all away). Pick out and discard the thyme and mint sprigs, then return the potatoes to the saucepan (along with the garlic and lemon strips). Use a masher to mash the potatoes, adding the oil and about 10 tbsp/140ml of the cooking water slowly as you go, until you get a smooth mash.

  Transfer the mash to a platter and use the back of a spoon to create divots in the surface. Drizzle the herb and garlic oil topping evenly over it, finish with a good grind of black pepper, and serve.

  Sweet potato mash with lime salsa

  This is delicious alongside all sorts of things: grilled chops, for example, grilled sausages, pan-fried pork loin, or tofu. I like to keep the skins, brush them very lightly with olive oil, and roast them for about 8 minutes at 425°F, to eat as a chip-like snack.

  Serves four as a side

  2 lb 2 oz/1kg sweet potatoes, unpeeled and cut in half lengthwise

  ¼ cup/60ml olive oil

  salt

  ¼ cup/5g basil leaves, finely chopped

  ¼ cup/5g cilantro, finely chopped

  ½ garlic clove, crushed

  2 limes: finely zest to get 2 tsp, then juice to get 1 tbsp

  black pepper

  Preheat the oven to 425°F.

  Rub the sweet potatoes with 1 tbsp of oil and season with ¼ tsp of salt. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast for 30–35 minutes, until very soft.

  While the sweet potatoes are roasting, make the salsa. Put the remaining 3 tbsp of oil into a small bowl with the basil, cilantro, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, and a good pinch of salt and stir to combine.

  Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins from the sweet potatoes. They should slide off easily, but you can scoop the flesh out with a spoon if you prefer. Mash the flesh together with ⅛ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper until smooth.

  Transfer to a platter, create divots in the surface, and spoon the salsa evenly over it. Serve hot.

  Spinach and Gorgonzola–stuffed baked potatoes

  I love the strong blue cheese here, but use any other cheese that you have around or prefer—it’ll work just as well. This is either a meal in itself, to serve two, or works well to serve four, alongside a simple steak and fresh green salad. The walnuts are optional, but they do add a welcome crunch.

  If Esme could have had her way, there would have been more recipes for baked potatoes here. With both apologies and thanks to Esme, this is for those that didn’t get in and the two winners that did.

  Serves two as a main or four as a side

  2 large russet potatoes (1½ lb/700g)

  1½ tbsp unsalted butter

  3 tbsp heavy cream

  2¼ oz/60g Gorgonzola

  salt and black pepper

  7 oz/200g baby spinach leaves

  2 tbsp/20g walnut halves, lightly toasted and broken up into ½-inch/1cm pieces (optional)

  Preheat the oven to 450°F.

  Poke the potatoes a few times with a fork and then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour or just over, until the flesh is soft all the way through. Remove from the oven and slice the potatoes in half, lengthwise. Scoop the flesh out into a medium bowl, setting the skins aside on the sheet for later. Roughly mash the potato with 1 tbsp/20g of the butter, the cream, Gorgonzola, ½ tsp of salt, and a generous grind of pepper and set aside.

  Take the remaining ½ tbsp of butter and divide it among the potato cavities. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and return to the oven for 8 minutes, for the skin to become crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.

  Place a medium saucepan, halfway filled with salted water, over high heat. Once boiling, add the spinach for about 10–15 seconds, just to wilt. Drain the spinach, squeezing out as much of the water as possible. Stir into the potato flesh, to combine, then spoon the mash back inside the empty skins, piled high. Bake for 15 minutes, until the top of the mash is crisp and browned. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the walnuts, and serve.

  Baked potatoes with egg and tonnato sauce

  This brings together two of the most simple and comforting dishes: a baked potato and a soft-boiled egg. If you want to make this even more hearty than it is, fold extra tuna into the sauce before spooning it over the potatoes. If you want to get ahead, the tonnato sauce can be made 1 day in advance and kept in the fridge.

  Serves four

  4 large russet potatoes (3 lb/1.4kg)

  1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve

  flaked sea salt

  4 larg
e eggs, soft-boiled (cooked in boiling water for 6 minutes, then refreshed under lots of cold water) and peeled

  TONNATO SAUCE

  2 large egg yolks

  3 tbsp lemon juice

  1¼ cups/25g parsley, roughly chopped

  4¼ oz/120g good-quality canned tuna in oil, drained

  2 tbsp/20g baby capers (or regular capers, chopped), drained

  2 anchovy fillets in oil, rinsed and patted dry

  1 garlic clove, crushed

  ¾ cup/180ml olive oil

  Preheat the oven to 450°F.

  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with ½ tsp salt, and bake for 50–55 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and the middle is soft. Remove from the oven and set aside.

  While the potatoes are in the oven, make the sauce. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of a food processor with the lemon juice, 1 cup/20g of parsley, the tuna, half the capers, all the anchovies, and the garlic. Blitz for 1 minute to form a rough paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to help the machine. With the machine still running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream, until the consistency is that of a thin mayonnaise. Set aside.

  When ready to serve, slice the hot potatoes almost (but not completely) in half; leave the base of the skin intact. Squeeze the outside of the potatoes a little—this helps to loosen their flesh—and sprinkle the insides with a pinch of flaked salt. Spoon the sauce over the potatoes and top with an egg, torn in half just before serving so that the yolk runs into the sauce. Add the remaining ¼ cup/5g of parsley and capers, drizzle with some oil, and serve.

  Oven fries with oregano and feta

  These are inspired by some fries I ate in George Calombaris’s Melbourne-based restaurant, Jimmy Grants, when I was in Australia judging on MasterChef. I’d heard great things, but my high expectations were still exceeded. Eat these fries as they are, as a side to some fish or meat and with a simple salad, or with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over them.

  If you happen to be on holiday in Greece (or live near a shop that sells Greek produce), be sure to pick up some dried Greek oregano—its flavor is much more intense than regular dried oregano.

  Get ahead by parboiling the potatoes up to 6 hours in advance.

  Serves six as a side

  4½ lb/2kg yellow potatoes, unpeeled and cut into ¾-inch/2cm-wide fries

  6 tbsp/90ml sunflower oil

  flaked sea salt

  ¼ cup/60ml olive oil

  6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  2 tsp dried oregano (regular or Greek)

  5¼ oz/150g feta, roughly crumbled

  Preheat the oven to 450°F.

  Place a large pot filled with plenty of salted water over high heat. Once boiling, add the potatoes and cook for 7–8 minutes, until starting to soften at the edges but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside to dry out for 5 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the sunflower oil along with 1 tbsp salt and mix well.

  Tip the potatoes and sunflower oil onto two large parchment-lined baking sheets (so that they are not overcrowded) and bake for 40–50 minutes, stirring a few times, until golden brown and crisp.

  About 5 minutes before the fries are ready, heat the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Fry gently for 3–4 minutes, until the garlic is pale golden brown. Take the cooked fries out of the oven and pour the olive oil and garlic over them, then return to the oven for a further 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and, while piping hot, sprinkle with the oregano and feta. Serve at once.

  Shallow-fried potatoes with rosemary and sumac

  Sumac is a bright and astringent ground spice that I have been championing for a very long time. Its color and kick means it’s a great way to shake up all sorts of everyday dishes.

  Serves four as a side

  10 tbsp/150ml olive oil

  1 lb 10 oz/750g yellow fingerling potatoes, quartered lengthwise

  5 garlic cloves, peeled

  salt

  3 rosemary sprigs

  3 thyme sprigs

  2 tsp sumac

  Put the oil into a large sauté pan and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the potatoes, garlic and ¾ tsp of salt. Fry gently for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are golden brown and soft. Add the rosemary and thyme and fry for another 5 minutes, until the herbs are crisp and aromatic.

  Use a slotted spoon—you want most of the oil to be drained off—to transfer the potatoes and rosemary and thyme to a serving bowl. Stir in the sumac and serve.

  Harissa and confit garlic roasted potatoes

  Any recipe with the word confit in it is enough to put some people off, but don’t be intimidated! All that it entails, in this context, is slow-cooking the garlic for so long that the oil becomes wonderfully infused and the cloves themselves become super soft. The confit garlic can be made up to 2 days in advance and the potatoes can be prepared up to the point of them going in the oven, about 6 hours in advance.

  Serves six to eight as a side

  2 large heads of garlic, cloves peeled (3¼ oz/90g)

  ½ cup plus 1½ tbsp/130g goose or duck fat

  4 rosemary sprigs

  6 thyme sprigs

  4½ lb/2kg yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch/5cm chunks

  ¼ cup/40g ground semolina

  2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

  2 tbsp rose harissa (or 50 percent more or less, depending on variety; see this page)

  flaked sea salt

  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  Place the garlic cloves in a small ovenproof pan or saucepan with a lid, with the goose fat, rosemary, and thyme. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, until the garlic cloves are soft and caramelized. Remove from the oven, then strain the fat into a large heatproof bowl and keep it. Set the garlic and herbs aside.

  Increase the oven to 425°F.

  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the potatoes and boil for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are half-cooked. Drain well, shaking the potatoes about a bit to fluff up the edges, and set aside in a colander to dry out for about 10 minutes.

  Add the potatoes to the bowl of goose fat along with the semolina, caraway, harissa, and 2 tsp of salt. Mix together well, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown, turning the potatoes over once or twice throughout. Stir in the confit garlic and herbs and continue to roast for 10–15 minutes, until the potatoes are dark golden brown and crispy. Sprinkle with extra salt, if you like, and serve.

  Sweet potato fries

  These are lovely either as a side or a snack. If a snack, serve alongside some sour cream, for everyone to dip their fries into. The potatoes can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance, up to the point of placing them in the oven.

  Serves six to eight as a side

  3 very large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ½-inch/1½ cm-thick fries (2½ lb/1.2kg)

  1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika

  ½ tsp cayenne

  3 garlic cloves, crushed

  3 tbsp polenta

  7 tbsp/100ml olive oil

  flaked sea salt

  1 tbsp sumac

  Preheat the oven to 450°F.

  Mix the sweet potatoes in a large bowl with the paprika, cayenne, garlic, polenta, oil, and 1 tsp flaked salt. Once combined, tip the sweet potatoes (and all the oil) onto two large parchment-lined baking sheets and roast for 25–30 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until the potatoes are cooked, crisp and golden brown.

  Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the sumac and 1 tsp flaked salt, and serve at once.

  Harissa–baked potato skins
and crispy lettuce salad

  Pictured on this page, left

  The basis of this recipe is that you’ll be using up skins from potatoes you’ve already cooked and have sitting around. This is either because you’ve used the cooked flesh to make mash or, in one of life’s great mysteries, your kids have eaten the inside of a baked potato and left the best bit (i.e., the cooked skins)! Either way, don’t throw them away—they bring a great extra crunch to an already fresh and crunchy salad and they turn this into a dish you can get onto the table in less than 30 minutes. This is totally brilliant alongside the Slow-cooked chicken with a crisp corn crust (this page).

  All the elements can be made in advance: the dressing up to 3 days and the potato skins can be kept in a sealed container for 1 day at room temperature. Just assemble when ready to serve.

  Serves four to six

  2½ lb/1.2kg large russet potatoes (3 or 4 potatoes)

  1 tbsp rose harissa (or 50 percent more or less, depending on variety; see this page)

  2 tbsp olive oil

  salt

  1 small iceberg lettuce, trimmed and cut into 1¼-inch/3cm-wide wedges (12¼ oz/350g)

  ¼ cup/5g tarragon, roughly chopped

  DRESSING

  2 tbsp preserved lemon peel, thinly sliced (from 2 small preserved lemons)