Recipes

Yotam Ottolenghi

Tahdig is a Persian rice dish, and the word translates literally to “bottom of the pan”, referring to the crisp bottom that forms during the cooking process. There is an element of surprise to making it, because you won’t know you have mastered the golden bottom until the finished article is turned out. A pan with even heat distribution (and, ideally, an induction hob) will be your friend here. Failing that, line the base of the pan with greaseproof paper to ensure the tahdig doesn’t stick

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This fairly traditional take on a Scandinavian beetroot soup, though with a twist by using coriander rather than caraway seeds, and topping it with a quick celery pickle. Finish off with a lovely dollop of soured cream, if you like, for some added richness

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This dish can be put together really quickly, so it’s great for a midweek meal or as part of a tapas spread. Serve with crusty bread

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

In Spain, these frilly and crispy prawn fritters would normally be made with whole shell-on shrimp, but they are quite hard to get hold of in the UK, so we’ve used a mixture of prawns and brown shrimp instead

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Is there a dish more synonymous with tapasbravas? It’s cooked in all sorts of ways all over Spain., and I was intrigued to learn that, traditionally, bravas sauce does not contain tomato at all, and is instead a thick, fiery, thickened paprika sauce. Even so, I love the freshness that tomato and brings here to proceedings

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Sweet potato pie is as traditional as southern US cooking gets. In this version, we love the crunchy cookie case against the silky-smooth filling. You can bake the pie up to a day ahead, but don’t top with cream until just before serving

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Biscuits and gravy are an American breakfast staple that originates from southern Appalachia. These biscuits are quick and are best served freshly baked. The gravy can be made while they bake, so you can eat them warm from the oven

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

If there was ever a king of US salad dressings, it would be the ranch. Spoon it over roasted vegetables, smother your fries with it, dip your crisps in it … Make it your own with a sprinkle of cayenne or a dash of Worcestershire sauce, or swap the coriander for any soft herbs that you have to hand

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Fried food? Tick. Eaten by hand? Tick. Eminently versatile depending on whatever condiments you have in your fridge? Tick. Mayonnaise and chimichurri are the go-tos for test kitchen development chef Jake, but all manner of other things will work well here instead – for example, some Greek yoghurt spiked with any chilli sauce

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Serve with a pile of unsalted tortilla chips and a bottle of your favourite hot sauce, and you can’t really argue with that

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

For all-out-finger-licking-no-one-is-looking-eat-with-your-hands food, not much beats fried chicken. This is my colleague Chaya’s go-to, though she does insist on using a bowl rather than a bucket. The slaw can also be made with cabbage or carrots instead of the celeriac, if you prefer (or buy some ready-made)

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Making paneer is really simple: it’s basically strained, curdled milk and makes a great alternative to scrambled eggs. The paneer, spice mix and pickled onions can all be made a day ahead, ready to mix and heat up just before serving. Save the whey to add to soups or use to marinate and tenderise large cuts of meat such as leg of lamb

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Vinegar is the backbone of any good hot sauce. There are so many to choose from these days, but it’s also really satisfying to make your own. In this one, the carrots and orange juice bring colour, sweetness and body and the jalapeños the heat, obviously

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Chicken and vinegar – or poulet au vinaigre, to honour the dish’s French credentials – is a timeless classic. It’s not hard to work out why, either – it takes such little effort to produce such big results

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This works just as well without the ham, if you prefer to leave it out. It’s a meal in itself, perhaps with a green salad alongside, and also works as a side for roast chicken, particularly when made without the ham. Either way, meet your new go-to autumn comfort traybake

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

With some rice and a green salad, say, this is a meal in itself, but it also works as part of a larger spread

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This is a bit like an effortless savoury clafoutis or crustless quiche. Serve with your favourite chilli sauce

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

According to legend, these are the accidental invention of Marie-Catherine Cornic, a French home cook in France. The story goes that Cornic inadvertently left a crepe on the heat for so long that it hardened into a biscuit. In France, they’re usually eaten either as they are or crumbled over ice-cream. We’ve added sesame seeds to ours to make them sturdier. Once made, they’ll keep well in an airtight container for up to three days

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

If you want to know the secret as to why so many simply cooked French dishes taste so good, the secret here is browned butter – that is, butter that’s has been melted and heated until it goes all nutty. Serve with plain boiled potatoes and a green salad

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Don’t let anyone tell you that a soufflé is (too) hard to make. The only thing you really need to keep on top of is timings. And get all your prep done first, so that the egg whites are ready and whisked for when the tomatoes come out of the oven, and will all be fine

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

The movie Heartburn is peppered (sorry!) with references to food, and this dish is a meat-free take on one shared in the film by Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. They eat it in bed and from the same big bowl, imagining a life where they will eat this once a week for the rest of their lives. Every time I see it, I always wonder how many takes it took to get that scene right – and how many times that big bowl of silky-sauced pasta had to be made.

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

The inspiration for this cake comes from the Scandinavian droømmekage, which translates as “dream cake”. The coconut caramel is sometimes poured into the base, which makes a fudgy, Bounty-like texture, here it’s added to the top. The cake will keep covered at room temperature for up to three days

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Poriyal is a popular south Indian and Sri Lankan dish of stir-fried vegetables with coconut. It is fresh, vibrant and very quick to cook. Although traditionally made with fresh coconut, I’ve used desiccated here, but use fresh if you like

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This is for a stunning starter for a dinner party. You can make all the components a day ahead and store them separately in the fridge. Don’t add stir the lime juice in right until just before serving, though, to so everything keeps the its colour. I’ve used light coconut milk here, because full-fat would be too intense and overwhelm the delicate balance of the dish