Recipes By Yotam Ottolenghi
117 recipes found
Peach and Chile Galette With Pistachio Frangipane
This peach galette is sweet, flaky and topped with a wonderful kick of chile. As the galette cooks, the peaches nestle themselves into the pistachio frangipane, flavoring the rich, nutty filling as they release liquid. Lightly crushed cardamom seeds bring bursts of flavor to both the frangipane and the chile syrup, adding even more warmth to the dish. Using almond flour and buttermilk in the pastry imparts a wonderful nuttiness, and acidity too. For a perfectly flaky pastry, a scale provides the most accurate measurements when weighing out the butter and flour. Try to resist taking a slice as soon as the galette comes out of the oven: The galette develops in flavor as it rests, which is worth the wait.
Zucchini Pasta With Crispy Capers and Pistachios
This pasta dish celebrates zucchini, cooking it two ways. Half the zucchini is thinly sliced into rounds, fried then steeped in red wine vinegar for a sweet and sour kick. The remaining zucchini is cut into large chunks and braised until it’s so silky that it seems to melt into the pasta sauce. Cooking the pasta directly in its sauce takes a little more attention than usual, especially toward the end of cooking when the liquid reduces to a sauce, so be sure to stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. This one-pot cooking approach allows all the starch released from the pasta to be captured in the sauce, creating a rich, glossy coating without the addition of dairy. The fried topping adds bursts of flavor and texture, turning this into a show-stopping dish. This pasta works just as well cold, so can be made in advance.
Zaalouk With Tahini
A Moroccan salad or dip, zaalouk is typically composed of tomatoes and eggplants, plus spices and a good amount of olive oil. It’s usually served at room temperature, with plenty of bread to mop it all up, but it’s equally delicious warmed and spooned over baked potatoes, or accompanied by fish or meat. Here, it's topped with tahini, which is untraditional but adds a lovely nutty, creamy element to the dish. The vegetables are roasted in this recipe for ease, but feel free to grill them over an open flame to get an extra smoky flavor, if you like.
Crispy Coconut, Asparagus and Green Bean Salad
This sweet and salty salad celebrates the best of spring, starting with a base of asparagus and green beans. The crispy coconut almond topping is loosely inspired by serundeng, an Indonesian spiced coconut condiment, which adds texture to the salad. You can grill the beans and asparagus to add a smoky flavor to the dish, or swap out the asparagus for runner beans, broccolini or any spring vegetable. All the individual salad elements can be made in advance, but you’ll want to assemble just before serving for the best results.
Lemon-Labneh Possets With Meringue and Burnt Lemon Powder
“Simple ingredients made super special” could not be more true of these lemon possets, which are well worth the effort for their perfect combination of creamy, tart, sweet and crispy. A posset is a quintessential British dessert and has a similar consistency to that of a custard or pudding, but acid (lemon juice in this case) is used to set the base as opposed to egg yolks or cornstarch. There are a number of shortcuts you could take, including using store-bought labneh or replacing it with an equal amount of thick-set créme fraîche. You can also use store-bought meringues, crushing them lightly to sprinkle on top. The burnt lemon powder is an added bonus and a great way to use up lemon peel that you may have otherwise discarded. You can use this powder in a number of inventive ways, including sprinkling it over hummus or some roasted vegetables for added depth. If you are making your own labneh, be sure to start the day before.
Cheesy Baked Polenta in Tomato Sauce
This recipe is quite forgiving in that there’s plenty of wiggle room to play. Use whatever herbs and cheeses you have on hand, for example, adjust the spice levels as preferred, and opt for fresh tomatoes if they’re in season, or chopped canned tomatoes instead of whole. You can also veganize the dish entirely by using a nondairy milk and vegan cheese, adding some nutritional yeast if you like. This hearty main needs nothing more than some lightly cooked greens to eat alongside.
Upside-Down Date Cake With Marmalade
The upside-down cake never goes out of style — and it can be revived again and again by exploring different flavor combinations. This one tops a medjool-date studded cake with a vibrant kumquat marmalade and a Cognac mascarpone. It can be served warm for dessert, or at room temperature for a casual afternoon treat. Any leftover marmalade can be stored in the fridge and will breathe new life into your morning toast.
Lemony Mashed Potatoes With Asparagus, Almonds and Mint
Sautéing asparagus in butter and oil, rather than boiling it in water, locks much of the flavor inside. The asparagus could be served without the lemony mashed potatoes, or the other way around, but together they make a glorious side dish to roasted chicken, fish or spring lamb. Alternatively, adding a poached egg or two to each plate will turn this into a substantial vegetarian meal.
Double Lemon Chicken
The universally loved crispy chicken — from Austrian schnitzel to Korean fried chicken to the westernized lemon chicken that you’d get at your local Chinese restaurants — is found in multiple corners of the world, and is therefore served on many tables. That lemon chicken is the inspiration for this dish, where a sweet lemony sauce coats crispy fried chicken pieces. This Middle Eastern version uses a cheater’s preserved lemon paste and plenty of fresh lemon to brighten it up. You’ll make a little more preserved lemon paste than you need; use it for salad dressing, toss it with roasted vegetables, or swirl it into soups. Serve this dish with some lightly cooked greens and plain white rice.
One-Pan Crispy Spaghetti and Chicken
This dish has won the hearts of adults and children alike, and for good reason: It’s easy to prepare, fun to eat and doesn’t call upon any hard-to-source ingredients. Cooking the spaghetti in this way lends plenty of texture, allowing for crispier bits at the edges and softer bits throughout. Feel free to make this dish your own by using up any soft herbs or hard cheeses you have on hand, or sprucing it up further with the addition of spice (cumin would work great here). Serve with some lightly cooked greens for a complete meal.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Cinnamon-Butter Yogurt and Chestnuts
This festive side would make a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving table, but would be equally great with a Sunday roast, alongside a whole, roasted chicken or some baked pumpkin. Get ahead by making (and refrigerating) the chestnut topping and garlic yogurt the day before, then bringing them back up to room temperature while the brussels sprouts roast. Be sure to leave the preparation of your browned butter to just before serving, though, as it will solidify as it sits.
Quick Chile Sauce
This sauce is a fridge staple you can spoon over anything savory, from cooked vegetables or eggs, to salads, grains, meat and fish. It’s spicy but not overtly so. You can bolster the heat by adding dried chile flakes or reduce it by using fewer fresh chiles. (Look for fresh red chiles as they amplify the color of the sauce.) You can add half a teaspoon of sugar, if you like, or make it your own by adding chopped garlic or ginger, and a handful of your favorite herb.
Grilled Broccoli and Lemon With Chile and Garlic
Alongside piles of roasted eggplant, the charred broccoli salad has become somewhat of a mascot on the salad display at Ottolenghi restaurants and delis throughout London. So much so, in fact, that it can’t be removed from the menu, let alone tampered with. But here, the favorite is played with: Charred lemons and anchovies, savory with umami, add sourness and funk. Serve this alongside your protein of choice, or as part of an al fresco spread.
World’s Best Chocolate Cake
The recipe for this cake, adapted from "Sweet" by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh, first appeared in an article written about Ms. Goh when she ran her cafe, the Mortar & Pestle, in Melbourne, Australia. Rather intimidatingly for her, the headline for the article was "World’s Best Chocolate Cake." It could actually be called lots of things: “world’s easiest cake,” possibly, requiring nothing more than one large bowl to make it all in. Or “most versatile cake,” given that it can be served without icing and just a light dusting of cocoa powder, or dressed up to the nines, as it is here, with a thin layer of chocolate ganache and served with espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream. In the Ottolenghi shops in London, it is smaller and goes by the name Take-Home Chocolate Cake, designed to be shared by four people after a meal. This larger version is no less delicious, and keeps well for four to five days. As with any baking project, you should weigh your ingredients in grams for the best results.
Cream Soda and Raspberry Cupcakes
These happy-looking cupcakes, with swirls of pink in the frosting, are only improved by a generous sprinkling of fun — in the form of popping candy, of course. The cream soda flavoring gives these cupcakes an ice cream shop vibe and can be ordered online, but vanilla will work just as well. Feel free to bake the cupcakes a day ahead and keep them in an airtight container. Top them with the mascarpone cream a couple of hours before you intend to serve them. For maximum effect, be sure to sprinkle on the popping candy only right before serving.
Braised Eggs With Zucchini, Feta and Lemon
This dish is a celebration of zucchini, and it can be served any time of the day, really, either on its own or with some good bread to dip into the runny yolks. Although the zucchini blossoms make this look particularly bright and festive, the recipe would work just fine without them. If your zucchini blossoms come with stems or small zucchini attached, simply slice them up and slow-cook them with the rest of the sliced zucchini.
Crisp Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed With Goat Cheese
Zucchini blossoms are a thing of wonder. They are great raw, in a salad, with a drizzle of good olive oil, but when they are coated in a crisp batter and stuffed with a light filling, they are an otherworldly experience. To get a good batter that isn’t too thick or oily, ensure that your sparkling or soda water is very well carbonated and ice cold. Also take your time with the oil, testing it a few times to get the perfect temperature. Adjust the temperature as you go, making sure the flowers don’t color too quickly.
Eggplant, Lamb and Yogurt Casserole
This hearty dish is inspired by moussaka, but simpler to prepare. Everything is baked in one roasting pan, with the different elements added in stages. Made with yogurt, cheese and egg, the topping cuts wonderfully through the richness of the eggplant and lamb, even though it lacks the body of béchamel. If you can get them, sweet and properly ripened tomatoes would be better than the canned ones. This is best served with a piece of pita or a slice of white bread to scoop it all up.
Cabbage Rolls With Walnuts and Sour Cream
Packed full of flavor, the filling for this stuffed cabbage is inspired by pkhali, a Georgian spread prepared by mixing ground walnuts, onions and spices with different vegetables, often cabbage. This version is eaten warm and uses allspice, cumin and cinnamon in the filling. To get ahead, stuff and bake the cabbage rolls the day before, but don’t finish with the sour cream until just before serving. Serve with rice, as a vegetarian main.
Confit Leeks With Lentils, Lemon and Cream
Leeks slow-cooked in olive oil star in this hearty vegetarian main of lentils, lemon and herbs. These confit leeks are roasted and softened without browning, slowly releasing their flavor into the oil. The mixture could be spooned over baked potatoes or roasted chicken, but the lentils give the dish heft and bite, and the leek cream makes it extra special. If you can’t find French lentils, you can easily substitute other green or beluga lentils, or pearl barley or other grains. Serve this dish warm or at room temperature, and eat alongside some roasted potatoes for a complete meal, if you like.
One-Pan Paprika Chicken With Lentils, Squash and Daqa
This oven bake requires minimal effort and is very much a meal in itself. Daqa is a vinegar-based condiment, most commonly used when making the much-loved Egyptian koshari, a hearty dish of rice, pasta and lentils. Daqa is a nifty way to brighten stews, braises and anything that needs an acidic lift. Feel free to swap out the kabocha squash for root vegetables, such as sweet potato or celery root, and serve the whole thing with nothing more than a leafy green salad.
Giant Couscous Cake With Roasted Pepper Sauce
This savory cake is very versatile in that you could substitute the couscous with other cooked grains, or make use of whatever herbs, cheeses or spices you have on hand. The options to make this cake your own are endless; leftover cooked barley or maftoul, Parmesan and Gruyère, dill or tarragon, toasted cumin or fennel seeds would all work well. Serve with a big green salad for a complete meal.
Butternut Squash Lasagna Pie
This comforting dish lands somewhere between a lasagna and a pie. Thinly sliced butternut squash and broken dried lasagna noodles are all tossed together in one bowl with cheese, spices and a red pepper sauce, then pressed into a cake pan before baking, at which point everything softens and cooks together into imperfectly perfect layers. A simple béchamel topping is made while your pie is in the oven, leaving you ample time to get on with assembling a big salad or a side dish of your choosing.
Upside-Down Lemon Sponge Cake With Lemon-Maple Butter
Warm desserts are the quintessential Christmas treat. This one is made even more special with the charred lemon slices, which give it just the right amount of sharpness to cut through all the sweetness. Be sure to take the butter for the cake out of the refrigerator well in advance, as it needs to be fully softened at room temperature before you make the batter. This cake also reheats quite well; just give it a quick steam to warm through or pop individual portions into the microwave in a sealed, heat-proof bowl.