Midweek supper
Spring/Summer
Avocado and fava bean mash, this page (the mash keeps for 2 days in the fridge; keep the fava bean and green onion garnish separate until serving) + Couscous, cherry tomato, and herb salad, this page (all the elements can be made 1 day in advance) + Beefsteak tomato carpaccio with green onion and ginger salsa, this page (make 6 hours ahead and keep in the fridge) (VG)
Stuffed zucchini with pine nut salsa, this page (the filling can be made up to 1 day ahead so that the zucchini are then ready to be stuffed and grilled) + Baked mint rice with pomegranate and olive salsa, this page (make the salsa in advance, if you like—it will be fine sitting for a few hours) (V)
Shrimp and corn fritters, this page (the mix can be made up 1 day in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to fry) + Herby zucchini and peas with semolina porridge, this page
Seeded chicken schnitzel, this page (the seed mix will keep for up to 1 month) + New potatoes with peas and cilantro, this page + Cucumber and lamb’s lettuce salad, this page (prep the cucumbers and make the dressing, but keep separate until ready to serve)
Autumn/Winter
Curried lentil, tomato, and coconut soup, this page (make up to 4 days ahead) + Tofu and haricots verts with chraimeh sauce, this page (the sauce will keep for 1 week) (VG)
Pumpkin, saffron, and orange soup this page (make the soup in advance and batch-cook the pumpkin seeds) + Pappardelle with rose harissa, black olives, and capers, this page (make the sauce 3 days in advance) (V)
Chile fish with tahini, this page (make ahead or batch-cook both the tomato and tahini sauces as they keep well in the fridge or freezer) + Fried broccoli and kale with garlic, cumin, and lime, this page (blanch the broccoli and kale ahead of time)
Pork with ginger, green onion, and eggplant, this page (get all your chopping done before you start and this will be on the table in less than 15 minutes) + Plain rice or noodles + Broccolini with soy sauce, garlic, and peanuts, this page
Weekend brunch for friends
Pea, za’atar, and feta fritters, this page (the batter can be made a day in advance) + Beet, caraway, and goat cheese bread, this page (this keeps for up to 1 week—just slice and toast on the day) + Avocado and cucumber salad, this page (this is the salad served with scrambled harissa tofu) (V)
Scrambled harissa tofu, this page (batch-cook the harissa onions and keep in the fridge) + Harissa-baked potato skins and crispy lettuce salad, this page (use up potato skins or save the cooked flesh of a baked potato to make mash) + Nutella, sesame, and hazelnut rolls, this page
Weekend lunch and supper for friends
Spring lamb and sides
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with mint and cumin, this page (get the lamb marinating overnight in the fridge) + Baked mint rice with pomegranate and olive salsa, this page and/or New potatoes with peas and cilantro, this page + Cucumber and lamb’s lettuce salad, this page (make the dressing and prep the cucumbers) and/or Avocado and fava bean mash, this page (the mash keeps for 2 days in the fridge) + Tomatoes with sumac shallots and pine nuts, this page (the elements can all be made in advance)
Summer salmon supper
Bridget Jones’s pan-fried salmon with pine nut salsa, this page + Aromatic olive oil mash, this page (potatoes can be prepped in advance) + No-churn raspberry ice cream, this page (this keeps well in the freezer, so it can be made in advance)
Spring roast chicken and sides
Spring roast chicken with preserved lemon, this page (the chicken can be prepped ahead, ready to go into the oven) + New potatoes with peas and cilantro, this page (this can be made a few hours in advance) + Chopped salad with tahini and za’atar, this page
Autumn roast chicken and sides
Arnold’s roast chicken with caraway and cranberry stuffing, this page (stuff the chicken ahead of time, so it is ready to go in the oven) + Aromatic olive oil mash, this page (potatoes can be prepped in advance) + Roasted baby carrots with harissa and pomegranate, this page (the carrots can be roasted a few hours before serving)+ Cavolo nero with chorizo and preserved lemon, this page
Festive supper
Chicken Marbella, this page (the chicken can be marinating up to 2 days ahead, ready to go into the oven) + Baked rice with confit tomatoes and garlic, this page + Carrot salad with yogurt and cinnamon, this page (steam the carrots in advance and add the herbs and yogurt before serving) + Brussels sprouts with browned butter and black garlic, this page
Family supper
Gnocchi alla Romana, this page (make this up to the point when it goes into the oven) + Ricotta and oregano meatballs, this page (make these ahead, ready to be warmed through in the oven before serving) + Cucumber and lamb’s lettuce salad, this page (the dressing can be made 2 days in advance and kept in the fridge)
Asian fish
Whole roasted sea bass with soy sauce and ginger, this page (the whole dish can be prepared a few hours ahead, ready to go into the oven) + Broccolini with soy sauce, garlic, and peanuts, this page and/or Quick okra with sweet-and-sour dressing, this page + Thai sticky rice with crispy ginger, chile, and peanuts, this page
Feasts
Feasts, for me, are where you do most of the cooking in advance and then have a great spread of food to which people can help themselves. The recipes I go to when making a feast are those whose quantities can be easily doubled or tripled (or more) as needed. They’re dishes that are happy to sit around for a while and be eaten at room temperature, when everyone is ready. Exceptions to this—when something needs to come out of the oven at the last minute or where assembly should be last minute—are noted where relevant. I’ve erred on the side of really covering the table in food here, but don’t feel you have to cook everything listed for it to be a feast.
Tapas feast
See image on this page
Avocado and fava bean mash, this page (the mash keeps for 2 days in the fridge; keep the fava bean and green onion garnish separate until serving) + Lima bean mash with muhammara, this page (both elements can be made in advance and assembled before serving) + Rose harissa chickpeas with flaked cod, this page + Squid and red bell pepper stew, this page (make this up to 2 days in advance and warm through before serving)+ Oven fries with oregano and feta, this page (the potatoes can be parboiled in advance) + Lamb arayes with tahini and sumac, this page (make the filling up to 1 day in advance)
Middle Eastern feast
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Grilled lamb fillet with almonds and orange blossom, this page (all the elements can be prepared in advance and assembled before serving) + Couscous, cherry tomato, and herb salad, this page (all the elements can be made 1 day in advance) + Green onion and herb salad, this page (make the dressing the day before and prep the salad 6 hours in advance, up to the point of adding the herbs and salt) + Roasted beets with yogurt and preserved lemon, this page + Roasted whole cauliflower, this page with Green tahini sauce, this page (the sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days) + Roasted baby carrots with harissa and pomegranate, this page (bake the carrots 6 hours in advance and assemble just before serving) + Chopped salad with tahini and za’atar, this page
Spring lamb feast
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Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with mint and cumin, this page (get the lamb marinating overnight) + Baked mint rice with pomegranate and olive salsa, this page (make the salsa in advance so that the rice is ready to put in the oven) + Roasted asparagus with almonds, capers, and dill, this page + Tomatoes with sumac shallots and pine nuts, this page (the elements can all be made in advance) + Tomato and cucumber raita, this page (this will keep in the fridge for 2 days) + Zucchini, thyme, and walnut salad, this page (make the garlic oil ahead and prep the zucchini up to 6 hours in advance, but wait to add the seasoning and lemon juice until ready to serve).
Summer vegetarian feast
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Burrata with grilled grapes and basil, this page (marinate the grapes for up to 1 day and grill just before serving) + Hot, charred cherry tomatoes with cold yogurt, this page (the tomatoes need to be served hot, but can sit in the marinade for up to 1 day) + Stuffed zucchini with pine nut salsa, this page (make the filling in advance, ready to stuff the zucchini before baking) + Gem lettuce with fridge-raid dressing, this page (the dressing can be kept in the fridge for 3 days) + Butternut squash with corn salsa, feta, and pumpkin seeds, this page (the elements can all be made 1 day in advance and then assembled) (V)
Winter feast
See image on this page
Arnold’s roast chicken with caraway and cranberry stuffing, this page (the chicken can be stuffed the day before and kept in the fridge) + Harissa and confit garlic roast potatoes, this page (confit garlic can be made 2 days ahead and the potatoes can be parboiled 6 hours in advance) + Cavolo nero with chorizo and preserved lemon, this page + Mushrooms and chestnuts with za’atar, this page (these need to be served straight from the oven, but can be prepared up to the point of adding the salt and pepper and going in the oven) + Fried broccoli and kale with garlic, cumin, and lime, this page (blanch the broccoli and kale in advance) + Carrot salad with yogurt and cinnamon, this page (steam the carrots 6 hours in advance and let them come to room temperature before serving)
“Ottolenghi” Ingredients
These are the 10 ingredients I’m urging you to seek out and stock up on. Even though I’ve called them “Ottolenghi” ingredients they’re not “mine,” of course; they’ve all been around a lot longer than me! They are, however, things I love to cook with, rely on a lot in the kitchen, and will keep championing until, I hope, they become a lot of people’s everyday ingredients.
As with all ingredients, there’s a huge range in the quality of each product. Price is a guide—you tend to get what you pay for—but, more than this, buying something from the country of origin will always give you the more authentic (which often just translates as tastier) version of the product. The sharpest barberries will always be those from Iranian grocers, for example; the tartest sumac—as with the most aromatic za’atar and the creamiest tahini—will always be from a Middle Eastern store.
This is not to say that shopping for everything in one big supermarket—and buying the house brand version of things—is in any way wrong. It is to say, though (particularly if you live in a city or do your grocery shopping online) that it’s worth taking a ten-minute detour to seek out a specialty shop to find these things or place an order online. We sell them at all our Ottolenghi shops, as just one example, as well as through our Ottolenghi web store.
Either way, and whatever version of the product you get hold of, these ingredients are all little flavor bombs, enriching and making bold whatever they’re added to. They all have a long shelf life, too, so don’t worry—you won’t need to add black garlic to every dish you make for weeks once the container is open.
That being said, there are so many ways each ingredient can be used that you shouldn’t be short of ideas as to what to do with them. Here are just a few ideas, both general and, specific to the recipes in Ottolenghi SIMPLE.
Barberries have an acidic tang that sweeter currants don’t, and they work well with all sorts of fritters, frittatas, omeletes, and rice-based salads. There are only two recipes in Ottolenghi SIMPLE that call for barberries—the Iranian herb fritters (this page) and the tomato, orange, and barberry salsa, which goes with the trout (this page)—but, still, I think they’re really worth having in your cupboard. If you don’t have them, just soak an equal quantity of currants in a little bit of lemon juice—about 2 tbsp of lemon juice for 3 tbsp of barberries—for a half hour. These can then be drained and substituted for barberries.
Black garlic has a wonderfully concentrated flavor. The cloves start off as regular white garlic cloves that are then treated over a long period and allowed to ferment. If white garlic can be harsh (and make your breath smell), then these black cloves are the very opposite: mellow, sweet, and umami-rich. I’ve used them in Ottolenghi SIMPLE to take the bitter edge off some Brussels sprouts (this page) and add their mellowness to an already-comforting brown rice dish (this page), but play around with adding them to other recipes. Try adding a thinly sliced clove or two to your pizza before it gets baked, for example, or stirring some into a risotto.
Ground cardamom can be hard to find in the United Kingdom. Therefore, most recipes in Ottolenghi SIMPLE start with whole cardamom pods and work from there (getting you to bash the pods open and gently crush the seeds inside). Ground cardamom is easily available in the United States, so you may use it instead. It brings an aromatic and distinctive sweetness to all sorts of desserts and savory dishes. It’s there in the soba noodles in Ottolenghi SIMPLE, for example (this page), and in the salsa to go with the pan-fried mackerel (this page). As a guide, if a recipe talks of ½ tsp of cardamom seeds (which you’d then crush yourself), you should use ¼ tsp of ground cardamom. Flavor bombs are one thing, but you don’t want them to actually explode in your mouth.
Pomegranate molasses is syrupy, sweet, and sharp. Adding a drizzle to all sorts of meat or vegetable dishes is a way of injecting this welcome sweet-sharp note into the dish. The molasses pairs incredibly well with ground lamb, as just one example. I always find myself adding a little bit to the mix when I’m making meatballs (this page) or a lamb mix to be piled into pita bread sandwiches (this page). Adding a drizzle to a marinade or the base of a slow-cooked stew is also a very good way to create a sweet and sticky coating for whatever’s being cooked.
Preserved lemon offers a real pop of citrus flavor. I often just chop the skin of a preserved lemon and add it to a dish or dressing to add a citrus hit. In Ottolenghi SIMPLE, I’ve used the small soft-skinned preserved lemons, rather than the larger thick-skinned ones, whose flavor is much more pronounced. Preserved lemon is used throughout the recipes here to bring a bite of contrast to an otherwise refreshing iceberg lettuce salad (this page) or a tomato and cucumber raita (this page), for example. It works just as well when cutting through earthy beet dishes (this page) or keeping things vibrant in an otherwise comforting dish of braised eggs (this page).
Rose harissa is a heavily spiced North African chile paste. I absolutely love it and it’s used throughout Ottolenghi SIMPLE in all sorts of dishes—to marinate beef sirloin, for example (this page), to rub over baked potato skins before they get roasted (this page), to elevate a simple pasta dish (this page) or omelete with Manchego (this page), or to make a batch of caramelized harissa onions to spoon alongside a tasty brunch (this page). The difference between harissa and rose harissa is the addition of the rose petals in the latter; generally speaking, they bring a special sweetness to the paste and soften the kick of the chile. That being said, the range in kick between one harissa and the next, or one rose harissa and the next can be absolutely huge. Recipes in Ottolenghi SIMPLE have been tested with Belazu rose harissa, which I really like. If you’re starting with something else, then you’ll need to taste what you have and gauge how much to use. A lot of supermarket brands aren’t that punchy so you’ll need to use 50 percent more than the recipe says. Much of the harissa or rose harissa that you buy from a North African shop, on the other hand, will have a really spicy kick so you’ll need to use 50 percent less than the recipe says. With heat, it’s always going to be a matter of taste and tolerance, so have a play around to see what works for you.
Sumac is the deep red ground spice made from the dried and crushed berries of the sumac shrub. The flavor is astringent and citrusy, and the spice can be sprinkled over all sorts of dishes. Eggs are a classic pairing, but it works just as well with grilled meat, fish, and vegetables. It can either be sprinkled over a dish as it is or mixed with some oil as the base for a dressing or marinade. Sumac onions (this page) were something of an obsession for me one summer, when I couldn’t stop piling them on top of sweet t
omatoes, and I also like to make a sumac yogurt sauce (this page) to serve with lamb patties or spoon over roasted vegetables. Sumac tends to be seen as savory but it does work in sweet dishes too (this page).
Tahini is little more than an oily paste made up of ground sesame seeds, but still, the quality varies hugely depending on where and how it’s made. Having grown up on it, I’m predisposed toward the creamy Lebanese, Israeli, and Palestinian brands rather than the Greek and Cypriot ones, which I find to be a bit claggy (mudlike) and not as flavorsome. Being less claggy, they pour well, so are ready to go into all sorts of dressings and sauces. I love to drizzle tahini over so many things. A simple chopped salad (this page), for example, or into a dressing made with honey, mirin, soy sauce, and other ingredients for a seaweed and sesame salad (this page). It’s also great on toast—as you’d spread peanut butter, topped with honey or date syrup—or just drizzled over vanilla ice cream. Tahini is in so many Ottolenghi SIMPLE recipes, enriching the topping for a lamb meatloaf (this page), drizzled lightly over some poached fish (this page), or made into a green sauce to be served alongside roasted veg (this page).
Urfa chile flakes are the type of chile flakes I reach for most days, although I use various chiles in my cooking. They are all about flavor—smoky and almost chocolate-like—rather than heat, so you can really be liberal with what they’re sprinkled over. Try adding the flakes to scrambled eggs, smashed avocado on toast, or a cheese sandwich. In Ottolenghi SIMPLE I’ve sprinkled them over roasted cherry tomatoes, for example, warm from the oven (this page), as well as on top of a Puy lentil and eggplant stew (this page).
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