Recipes

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This sustaining meal-on-a-plate is a little bit like hummus, though much easier and quicker to prepare. With warm flatbread, I could eat this every day.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Few ‘side’ dishes deliver as much impact and provide as much comfort, as the humble roast potato. Let the rest of your meal deliver on spice, richness, heat, acidity, and allow these golden spuds to shine alongside.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Think of this as a British Peking duck, and eat it as you would in a Chinese restaurant, stuffing the shredded duck, sauce, spring onions and cucumbers inside the warm pancakes. It’s a messy business, but that’s all part of the fun. Use shop-bought pancakes, if need be, but if you do make your own, you can do so well in advance and warm them through in the oven before serving.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Lamb and cumin is a pairing you’d normally associate with Middle Eastern cooking, but it is also a staple in the north-west of China, where there is a large Muslim community. According to my Taiwanese friend Gary Chang, there’s only one heat when stir-frying, and that’s “very hot”, so keep the flame high to achieve a good sear, and use a wok if you have one, or a high-sided saute pan if you don’t.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This zhoug recipe comes from our cookbook, Jerusalem, and is a hark back to a condiment that I will forever have in my fridge. We’ve used carlin peas from Bold Bean Co as we love their texture; however, feel free to substitute any other good-quality cooked bean or legume of your choice, such as butter beans, cannellini, or chickpeas.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

These are like a mustardy, bite-sized cauliflower cheese. They’re great as they are, but a sprinkle of paprika, a squeeze of lemon and some mayo would do no harm (though that might be construed as cheating).

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

The mild sweetness of crab, paired with the gentle bitterness of radish, is a combination we can't resist - the excuse of needing to taste often ends up with little left for anyone else. If you have more self-restraint, use this mix to top a bruschetta for a starter or a pre-dinner bite, as here, or turn into an opulent salad by serving with boiled waxy potatoes, capers and watercress, and dressing with olive oil.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

If you can't get sprouting herbs, use a combination of finely shredded coriander and pea shoots instead.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This salad is a perfect side for a summer BBQ. To get ahead, you can make the couscous, onion, and raisin mix the day day before, just bring back to room temperature before serving.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Serve these with a spoonful of yoghurt or even just drizzled with lime juice. Makes eight pancakes.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This recipe was developed for coronation weekend. And whether that meant much to you or not, it was definitely an excuse to eat. On the menu is the infamous Coronation quiche, supplied by Buckingham Palace as a way to get the nation together around a plate of food. The success is debatable (and has been heatedly debated) but it's seasonal, vegetable centred (if not vegetarian), portable, approachable and can be eaten warm or at room temperature. We seriously played around with it. The principle is the same - it's a springtime quiche, perfect to make a day ahead for weekend parties - but za'atar has been sprinkled and extra cheese and herbs and spices added in. Bejewelling the whole thing with pomegranate seeds was also irresistible: they taste great and make the whole thing look rather like a crown.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Corn husks are like nature’s little foil packets, only better. They allow the kernels to cook in their own steam and not dry out while they’re on the grill and, at the same time, take on the burning husks’ smoky aroma. Make sure you use the freshest corn you can find, because this really makes all the difference when cooking them in this way. If you can’t get corn cobs in their husks, blanch them lightly before grilling them and then spread with the dressing.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Cooking the leeks in this way gently softens them without colouring, and releases their allium flavour into the oil. Blending the confit leeks with cream creates a lovely sauce to bring the whole dish together, which could easily stand as a substitute for gravy alongside your choice of protein. If you can’t find puy lentils, then swap them out for other lentils, such as green or beluga. Serve this dish warm or at room temperature, and eat alongside some roasted potatoes, if you like.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

These parsnips are intensely flavoured with vinegar, chilli and smoke from the grill, which adds a wonderful dimension but isn’t strictly essential, so skip the charring stage if you want to save time. Be sure to keep the oil that you’re left with, and use it to dress salads or to drizzle over dips or mezze.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Ideally, you want to start making this a day in advance, to let the flavours develop and deepen. That said, you can make it on the spot and still end up with a very satisfying result. Just make sure you chill it before serving.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

The coffee adds a smoky, earthy quality to these koftas, but without dominating proceedings. Swap the cascabel chilli for another mild dried chilli, such as guajillo, if you prefer. And it’s worth making double or triple the coffee rub, because it works wonders on all sorts of grilled meats and vegetables.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

I’ve been through a fair few recipes in my quest to recreate the coccoli at the simple, cheap yet brilliant I’ Brindellone trattoria in Florence. The best – quite different, in truth, but almost as delicious – I’ve found so far is in Chiara Lima’s Mamma Agata cookbook. Coccoli is traditionally served with cured ham and stracchino, a mild, creamy cow’s cheese, but buffalo mozzarella works, too.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Who doesn’t love a tray bake? Everything combined in one tray for a hands-off easy mid week dinner. All that’s needed is a bright green salad and some crusty bread to mop up all the juices!

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This is a great way to use up any leftover roasted potatoes and parsnips, but it’s also worth roasting extra to make this creamy Greek garlic dip on Boxing day. You can use more or less parsnips or potatoes, just make sure that you make up the total weight. I’ve topped it with more leftover veggies, brought to life with a sweet and sour agrodolce.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

These are what I’d sell if I ever jacked it all in and set up a street stall somewhere tropical. I’m probably not going to do that any time soon, but in the meantime, these will transport you there. Makes about 15 fritters, to serve four as a snack or first course.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This is a hearty chopped salad that utilises the whole broccoli, head to stalk. The dressing is fruity and nutty from the goji berries, sumac and peanut butter. It's a great one for meal prep as it makes a big batch and keeps very well in the fridge for a few days.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This is gloriously rich. The raspberry and star anise jam gives it a summery slant and a more complex quality but you could choose to omit it and keep it pure chocolate. Serve with a spoonful of creme fraiche.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Sweet

The recipe in Nigella Lawson’s wonderful book, Feast, inspired our version of these cakes. We have amplified the Irish element in her original recipe by piping Baileys-infused mascarpone cream into the middle of the cakes. Thanks to Daniel Karlsson for this idea. This is then followed by a light drizzle of chocolate ganache, followed by shavings of chocolate! It sounds extravagant, we know, but it’s actually a really easy cake to make, all whisked together in one bowl. The secret to making a really shiny chocolate ganache is to use a food processor, as we do here.