Photo by Jonathan Lovekin
A new Ottolenghi book always feels like a special event, and this absolute beauty is no exception. It is just impossible to look at it without smiling: its beautiful cover radiates cheer and glowing cosiness, a clue to the big, bright, bold flavours within. Yes, the remit of the book is Comfort, but we’re talking Ottolenghi Comfort here, so banish from your mind immediately any thoughts of bland nursery-fare. The food that fills these pages owes no less to nostalgia, though: it’s just that the disparate cultural backgrounds and eating histories of these four authors, Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley, mean that many of the recipes that they draw on habitually for emotional sustenance and quintessential contentment might seem challengingly unfamiliar to some. That’s one of the many things I love about this book: it’s intensely personal but at the same time universally welcoming.
If I list some of the dishes included, you’ll see what I mean: Aubergine Omelette; Cheesy Curry Crêpes; a gorgeously spiced Pea and Ham Soup; Prawn Spoon Fritters; Meatballs with that fiery dipping sauce Nuoc Cham, Cucumber and Mint; All-Purpose Mushroom Ragù; Roast Chicken with Curry Leaf Dukkah; Chicken Meatballs, Potatoes and Lemon; Gingery Fish and Rice; Mushroom and Kimchi Mapo Tofu; Garlicky Aligot Potatoes with Leeks and Thyme; German-Style Sausage Rolls with Honey Mustard; ‘Thousand’ Hole Pancakes; Baked Custard Affogato; Kaiserschmarrn, that Austrian dish of pulled-apart pancakes and a favourite of mine; Brownie Cookies with Tahini Cream and Halva; and the irresistible Malty Figgy Pudding. And the recipe I’ve chosen delightedly to share with you today could hardly be more comforting: Poached Chicken Congee!
Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley, published by Ebury Press.
Photos by Jonathan Lovekin.
