Rose harissa chickpeas with flaked cod
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This is a great little tapas dish packed full of big flavors. Serve it with some crusty bread and wilted greens.
Serves four as a tapas or side
7 oz/200g cod, skinless and boneless, cut into 1¼-inch/3cm pieces
2½ tbsp olive oil
rounded ¼ tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, 1 crushed and 1 thinly sliced
salt
½ onion, finely chopped (¾ cup/100g)
2 cardamom pods, bashed with the flat side of a knife
1 tbsp rose harissa (or 50 percent more or less, depending on variety; see this page)
2 tsp tomato paste
1½ small preserved lemons, skin finely chopped (3 tbsp)
1 (15.5 oz/440g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1¾ cups/240g)
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp/200ml vegetable stock
¼ cup/5g cilantro, roughly chopped
Mix the cod with 1½ tsp of the olive oil, the cumin, crushed garlic, and ⅛ tsp salt. Set aside for 15 minutes to marinate.
Put the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a large sauté pan and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and fry for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and golden brown. Decrease the heat to medium, add the sliced garlic, and stir for 1 minute, then add the cardamom, harissa, tomato paste, preserved lemon, chickpeas, and ¼ tsp salt. Stir for 1 minute, then add the stock and heat for 3–4 minutes, crushing some of the chickpeas with the back of a spoon, until the sauce is thick.
Add the fish to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring gently and turning the fish after 1½–2 minutes, until cooked and flaking apart. Lift out and discard the cardamom pods, sprinkle with the cilantro, spoon into shallow bowls, and serve.
Shrimp and corn fritters
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These fritters work as both a snack before supper and as a starter with an avocado and gem lettuce salad. They also work in bite-sized form, as a canapé. Just make them one-third of the size and decrease the cooking time to 1 minute on each side. The mix can be made up the day before, if you want to get ahead, and then just wait in the fridge to be fried. You can also fry them the day before, if you like, and keep them in the fridge, warming through before serving.
Makes twelve fritters, to serve six as a starter or snack or about thirty-six bite-size fritters, to serve twelve as a canapé
12¼ oz/350g peeled jumbo shrimp
mounded 1 cup/140g frozen corn, defrosted
¼ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup/10g cilantro, roughly chopped
1 large egg, beaten
2 limes: finely zest to get 2 tsp, then cut into wedges, to serve
salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Put the shrimp and corn in the bowl of a food processor and give them a quick pulse to break them up. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, pepper flakes, cilantro, egg, lime zest, and a rounded ¼ tsp of salt and pulse a few more times, until the shrimp are roughly broken and the ingredients are mixed together. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
Put the oil in a medium frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, use 2 spoons to form half of the mixture into 6 fritters (or more, if making canapé size). Put them into the pan and flatten slightly so they are about ¾ inch/2cm thick. Fry for 2 minutes on each side (or 1 minute on each side if making the smaller version), then transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.
Continue with the remaining mixture in the same way and serve warm, with a sprinkle of salt and the wedges of lime.
Sweet and salty cheesecake with cherries
There are three components here—I know, but they’re all quick and simple to do, can all be made well in advance, and there’s no work to do on the day you’re serving apart from some informal assembly. The cheesecake (which keeps for 3 days) and compote (which keeps for 5 days) need to be kept in the fridge, and the crumble (which keeps a good week or so) just needs to be kept in an airtight container at room temperature. The compote and crumble are also lovely for breakfast—if you have any left over or want to make more—served with Greek yogurt.
Serves six to eight
3½ oz/100g feta
10 oz/300g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 small lemon, finely zested to get 1 tsp
½ cup plus 1 tbsp/130ml heavy cream
CRUMBLE
¾ cup/100g blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter, fridge-cold and cut into ¾-inch/2cm dice
⅔ cup/80g almond meal
2 tbsp/25g granulated sugar
1 tbsp black sesame seeds (or white)
⅛ tsp salt
CHERRY COMPOTE
1 lb 5 oz/600g frozen pitted cherries, defrosted
7 tbsp/90g granulated sugar
4 whole star anise
1 orange: peel finely shaved to get 4 strips
2 tbsp olive oil, to serve
Using a spatula, break the feta down in a large bowl to make it as smooth as possible. Add the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon zest and whisk to combine. Pour in the cream and gently whisk until the mixture has thickened enough to hold its shape. Leave to set in the fridge until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
To make the crumble, place the hazelnuts, butter, almond meal, and sugar in a bowl. Use the tips of your fingers to rub the butter into everything else until the consistency of breadcrumbs is formed. Stir in the sesame seeds and salt, then spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.
To make the compote, put the cherries, sugar, star anise, and orange peel into a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened (but it will continue to thicken as it cools down). Set aside to come to room temperature. Discard star anise and orange peel.
When ready to serve, spoon a large scoop of the cheesecake into each bowl and top with some crumble. Spoon the compote on top and finish with the remaining crumble. Drizzle with the olive oil and serve.
Vanilla custard with roasted strawberries and rhubarb
If it’s in season, use forced rhubarb here: the hot-pink color of the slender stalks looks stunning once cooked. Regular field-grown rhubarb, though, is also great. The custard and fruit mixtures can be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to assemble. Serve this with some shortbread alongside, if you’re looking for crunch.
Serves eight to ten
7 oz/200g rhubarb, cut into 1¼-inch/3cm chunks
7 oz/200g strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
7 tbsp/90g granulated sugar
CUSTARD
4 large egg yolks
1 tsp cornstarch
rounded ¼ cup/60g granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2½ cups/600ml heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Mix the rhubarb and strawberries with the sugar and arrange in a medium ovenproof dish; you want the fruit to fit snugly. Bake for 12–13 minutes, until the fruit has softened but still retains its shape and the sugar has melted. Don’t worry if there is a tiny amount of sugar that hasn’t melted; just give the fruit a gentle stir and the sugar will dissolve. Set aside to cool.
Decrease the oven temperature to 375°F.
For the custard, place the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Gradually pour in the cream and whisk until combined. Pour the custard into
a 10-inch/25cm high-sided ovenproof dish. Place the dish inside a larger ovenproof dish and fill the larger dish with boiling water so it rises about ½-inch/1cm up the sides. Bake for 25 minutes, until the custard has set and is starting to brown on top. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool, then transfer to the fridge to chill.
Once chilled, spoon half of the fruit and juice on top and serve with the remaining fruit and juice alongside.
Sumac-roasted strawberries with yogurt cream
This is a good dessert if you have overripe strawberries that are slightly past their best. Roasting them makes them deliciously soft and sticky. All of the elements can be made 3 days in advance—keep them separate in the fridge and assemble when ready to serve. Serve this as it is, for a light summer dessert, or with shortbread biscuits. Thanks to Helen Graham.
Serves six
3¾ cups/900g Greek-style yogurt
1 cup plus 3 tbsp/140g confectioners’ sugar
salt
½ cup/120ml heavy cream
1 lemon: finely zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 2 tbsp
⅓ cup/80 ml water
1 lb 5 oz/600g ripe strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
1½ tbsp sumac
½ cup/10g mint, half sprigs and the other half leaves, finely shredded
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
⅓ cup/80ml water
Put the yogurt in a bowl with ½ cup plus 4½ tsp confectioners’ sugar and ¼ tsp salt. Mix, then transfer to a sieve lined with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Tie the cheesecloth into a bundle with string, weight it down with a heavy bowl, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Extract as much liquid as possible, until you are left with about 2 cups plus 5 tbsp/550g of thickened yogurt. Remove from the cheesecloth—discarding any liquid—and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the cream and lemon zest and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Meanwhile, roast the strawberries. Toss the strawberries with the sumac, mint sprigs, vanilla pod and seeds, lemon juice, the remaining confectioners’ sugar, and the water. Transfer to an ovenproof dish measuring about 8 x 12 inches/20 x 30cm. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing after 10 minutes, until soft and bubbling. Let cool to room temperature, then lift out and discard the mint and vanilla pod. Strain the roasting juices into a jug. Pour 3 tbsp of the juices into the yogurt cream and gently fold it through so the cream is rippled. Set aside 3 tbsp of juices to serve. (Keep the remaining juices to drizzle over your morning granola.)
To serve, spoon the rippled cream into bowls and top with the strawberries. Pour the juices over the top and garnish with the shredded mint.
Plum, blackberry, and bay friand
Friands are the light, moist almond cakes popular in Australia, New Zealand, and France. Whisked egg whites and very little flour make them wonderfully light, and the almond meal makes them really moist. Traditionally they’re small cakes, but here I tip the batter into a baking dish and cook it whole.
You can make the batter well in advance, if you want to get ahead— it keeps well in the fridge up to 1 day. But don’t macerate the fruit for this amount of time as it will become too juicy.
Serve with custard, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream. The fruit can be played around with, depending on the season. Raspberries and peaches can be used in the early summer months, for example.
Serves six generously
7 oz/200g blackberries
4 ripe plums, pits removed, cut into ½-inch/1cm wedges (2½ cups/360g)
1 tsp vanilla extract
rounded ¼ cup/60g granulated sugar
3 fresh bay leaves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 tbsp/60g all-purpose flour
1⅔ cups/200g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 cup/120g almond meal
⅛ tsp salt
5¼ oz/150g egg whites (from 4 or 5 large eggs)
¾ cup/180g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Place the blackberries and plums in a bowl with the vanilla, granulated sugar, bay leaves, and ½ tsp of the cinnamon. Set aside for 30 minutes. Don’t be tempted to leave them sitting around for longer than this, as the fruit will become too juicy.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Mix the flour, confectioners’ sugar, almond meal, the remaining ½ tsp of cinnamon, and salt in a separate large bowl. Set aside.
Lightly whisk the egg whites by hand for 30 seconds, so they just start to froth. Stir into the flour mixture, along with the melted butter, until combined.
Tip the batter into a 9 x 13-inch/23 x 33cm parchment-lined baking dish and top evenly with the fruit and juices. Bake for 60 minutes, covering the dish with foil for the final 10 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
Blueberry, almond, and lemon cake
For all the pans and molds that can be used to great effect in baking, there’s nothing quite like a simple loaf cake to reassure one that all is okay with the world. This is timeless, easy, and also keeps well, for 3 days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Serves eight
½ cup plus 2 tbsp/150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup/190g granulated sugar
2 lemons: finely zest to get 2 tsp, then juice to get 2 tbsp
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, beaten
⅔ cup/90g all-purpose flour, sifted
⅛ tsp salt
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp/110g almond meal
7 oz/200g blueberries
½ cup plus 1 tbsp/70g confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8½ x 4½-inch/21 x 11cm loaf pan, and line the base with parchment paper.
Place the butter, granulated sugar, lemon zest, 1 tbsp of the lemon juice, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 3–4 minutes, until light, then lower the speed to medium. Add the eggs, in small additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl. The mix may separate a little, but don’t worry; it’ll come back together. Add the flour, salt, and almond meal in three additions. Finally, fold in three-quarters of the blueberries, scrape into the prepared loaf pan, and smooth it out evenly.
Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining blueberries over the top of the cake. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes, until the cake is golden brown but still uncooked. Cover loosely with foil and continue to bake for about 30 minutes, until risen and cooked. Test by inserting a knife into the middle; it’s ready if it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside, in its pan, to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the icing. Put the remaining 1 tbsp of lemon juice into a bowl with the confectioners’ sugar and whisk until smooth. Pour over the cake and gently spread out—the blueberries on the top of the cake will bleed into the icing a little, but don’t worry; this will add to the finished look.
Fig and thyme clafoutis
This might seem like a lot to serve four, but it’s so light and fluffy that you’ll be surprised how much everyone can eat. The figs can be made 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge.
Serves four
7 tbsp/90g dark muscovado sugar
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp red wine
1 tbsp thyme leaves
2 lemons: finely zest to get 2 tsp, then juice to get 1 tbsp
14¾ oz/420g really ripe Mission figs (about 10, depending on size), tough stems removed, halved lengthwise
2 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
⅓ cup/50g all-purpose flour
1½ tsp vanilla extract
7 tbsp/100ml heavy
cream
⅛ tsp salt
vanilla ice cream (or crème fraîche, to serve)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Put 4 tbsp/50g of the sugar into a small ovenproof high-sided sauté pan (about 7 inches/18cm), along with the water. (If you don’t have an ovenproof pan this size, cook the figs in a regular frying pan and transfer them to a 9-inch/22cm baking dish.) Place over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes, swirling the pan a few times, until the sugar has completely melted and is bubbling rapidly. Carefully add the wine and thyme and stir continuously for about 1 minute, keeping the pan on the heat, until combined and thick. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and figs, and set aside to cool for 20 minutes (or longer)—you just don’t want them to be piping hot when the topping gets poured on. If you need to transfer the figs to a baking dish, do this now.
Place the egg yolks in a bowl with the remaining 3 tbsp/40g of sugar, the flour, vanilla, cream, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk until pale and thickened: 2–3 minutes by hand, or 1 minute with a handheld mixer. Whisk the egg whites separately by hand for 1–2 minutes, to form stiff peaks, and fold gently into the batter until just combined.
Spread out the figs in the sauté pan (or baking dish) and pour in the batter. Bake for 30 minutes, until the batter has risen and is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven, divide among four bowls, and serve hot with the ice cream or crème fraîche.
Ottolenghi Simple Page 17
