Ottolenghi FLAVOUR Read online

  Since we champion veg and the numerous ways in which you can dial up their flavour that one extra notch, it is no surprise that many of our essentials are aged or fermented. In fact, there is a whole section (P. 93–113) dedicated to dishes which rely on aged ingredients to make them as delicious and special as they are. There is also a long introduction (P. 33–5) explaining the super-power of ageing and how it generates layers of flavour. Aged ingredients are shortcuts to jars of flavour which, we believe, should sit on every kitchen shelf.

  As well as umami-rich ferments, chillies form another strong grouping on our list of essentials. Though celebrated for their spiciness (see the CHILLI HEAT section, P. 196–211, and introduction, P. 127–9), our chillies do much more than that. They bring with them to the table a whole set of sub-flavours and fine aromas that you simply can’t find elsewhere, a different kind of sweet, smoky, leathery, chocolatey or tart. They also have an incredible ability to marry together with other flavours to create a new, singular harmony. We always think of the combination of garlic, ginger and chilli, which sits at the heart of so many dishes, and try to imagine it without the chilli. Impossible.

  Chillies, like ferments, run across cultures like busy diplomats. Practically every region in the world to which we are drawn has its own unique take on chilli sauce, or oil, or marinade. A little bottle or jar with deep scarlet liquid inside signifies a flavour bomb of a very particular kind.

  In FLAVOUR, Mexico is where we frequently go for our fix of chilli heat. This has as much to do with the incredible range of chillies that come out of this country as it does with Ixta’s childhood memories of Mexico and her infatuation with its food.

  Chillies, as well as masa harina, hibiscus flowers and all the clever feasts that you can create with them, are the latest additions to the ever-expanding Ottolenghi pantry. We urge you to try them out, but please don’t ditch the old favourites. Some of them – rose harissa, black garlic, Aleppo chillies – are on this list; others – tahini, za’atar, preserved lemons, pomegranate molasses – aren’t, but they are dotted throughout the recipes, busily doing their now-familiar magic.

  Aleppo chilli is a dried and flaked chilli, common in Turkey and Syria, named after the city of Aleppo. While the flakes themselves are dark red, they impart a bright red colour when infused. We use Aleppo chilli to add medium heat to lots of sauces and marinades, such as our NAM JIM (P. 202), NAM PRIK (P. 44), RAYU (P. 237) and CHAMOY (P. 187). It’s also great in salad sprinkles (see KOHLRABI ‘NOODLE’ SALAD, P. 260). You can find Aleppo chilli in some supermarkets, but better yet, visit a Middle Eastern grocer, where you can get large bags of the stuff under the name ‘pul biber’ for a fraction of the price. Use half the amount of regular chilli flakes, as a substitute.

  Ancho chilli is the dried version of the poblano chilli. Poblanos are green when fresh, and become very dark red when dried, developing fruity and sweet notes with mild to medium levels of heat. We use them in both sweet and savoury contexts here – see TANGERINE AND ANCHO CHILLI FLAN (P. 278) and BLACK BEANS WITH COCONUT, CHILLI AND LIME (P. 86).

  Anchovies don’t need much of an introduction, but we should note that we do mean those that have been aged in salt, rather than marinated or pickled, and we would urge you to get anchovies kept in olive oil, rather than sunflower oil. Anchovies give a savoury depth to the dishes you add them to. They are only particularly fishy if you use a fair amount. We are aware that vegetarians and vegans don’t eat anchovies, so they are optional in all the recipes. They can be substituted with extra seasoning, and by that we mean anything from salt, miso and soy sauce to finely chopped olives and capers.

  Black garlic is garlic that has been gently heated for 2–3 weeks, causing the Maillard reaction (see more on P. 28) to render it black, sweet and a bit liquorice-y, with notes of balsamic vinegar. It brings a distinctive sweetness to the OLIVE OIL FLATBREADS (P. 246) and the DIRTY RICE (P. 252).

  Black lime is a lime that has been sun-dried until it has lost all its water and turned rock hard. Popular in the Persian Gulf, it is intensely sour and gives dishes a uniquely earthy and slightly bitter type of acidity. There are different versions across the region, with different names, such as Omani limes, Iranian limes and noomi basra, and they can range in colour from blond to dark brown to black. You can use any of them in our recipes, but we prefer the small black limes. You can harness the lime’s flavour in different ways: pierce holes in it and add it to a broth or stew to impart milder flavour, or soak and finely chop the whole lot to add an intense hit of earthy acidity. You can find them online or in Middle Eastern grocers.

  Cascabel chillies are, we think, the best dried chillies out there. We’ve used them in countless dishes in our restaurant, ROVI – the BUTTER BEANS IN SMOKED CASCABEL OIL (P. 41) for one – and in the rub for our OYSTER MUSHROOM TACOS (P. 238). On first inspection they are black, but if you hold them up to the light, they are in fact a deep and seductive red. They are sweet, nutty and mildly chocolatey, which makes them work wonderfully in both sweet and savoury contexts (try using them instead of ancho chillies in the TANGERINE AND ANCHO CHILLI FLAN, P. 278.

  Chipotle chilli is the dried and smoked version of the jalapeño chilli. It gives medium heat and is, unsurprisingly, smoky. We steep chipotle flakes in warm oil for a very quick but extremely effective chilli oil to drizzle over CHEESE TAMALES, (P. 158), and blitz them into a coating for peanuts, which play a starring role in the RADISH AND CUCUMBER SALAD (P. 263).

  Fish sauce is a Southeast Asian condiment made from fermented fish. Unsurprisingly, it is extremely funky, and although we love it, we can appreciate that not everyone does. Own-brand supermarket varieties aren’t always top quality, so do try to get your hands on the real deal; Squid Brand (which interestingly contains no squid) is very good, and is readily available in any Asian supermarket. Fish sauce is totally optional in all recipes. It’s comparable in salt levels to light soy sauce, which can be used in its place. You may want to add less light soy sauce, however, if the recipe already contains soy sauce.

  Gochujang chilli paste is a Korean fermented paste made from chillies, glutinous rice and soya beans, making it complex, hot, sweet and savoury all at once. Do try to get your hands on the real-deal Korean brands (O’food, for example), which have a serious depth to them, compared to the often dull own-brands sold in supermarkets. Gochujang is available in most Asian supermarkets, but if you can only get the supermarket stuff, taste before you add – you may need to double the amount if it’s lacking in colour, body or flavour.

  Ground cardamom has been an Ottolenghi pantry staple for a while because we love using it in both sweet and savoury contexts. We sell it in our webstore but, otherwise, it’s still quite hard to come by. You can make your own, however, by starting with whole cardamom pods, discarding the papery shells and grinding the seeds to a fine powder. You’ll be happy to have the ready-ground stuff when making our CARDAMOM TOFU (P. 172), though, as it requires a fair amount.

  Hibiscus flowers are used widely in Mexico to flavour all sorts of foods and drinks. They are floral and tart, comparable in taste to cranberries, and impart an almost instant bright pink hue to anything they infuse. Dried hibiscus flowers are available in many health food shops and online, although we tend to use hibiscus tea bags, as they are more readily available. We use hibiscus to add an extra level of face-puckering acidity to our LEMON SORBET (P. 289), and to add tartness and vibrant colour to our PICKLED ONIONS (P. 158).

  Jarred butter beans, specifically Brindisa Navarrico butter beans, prove that not all pre-cooked butter beans are created equal. If you are not going to cook butter beans from scratch, these ‘judiónes’ – giant butter beans – are just as soft, creamy and perfectly seasoned. Do try to source them to use in the BKEILA STEW (P. 75), or to steep in a wonderfully smoky CASCABEL OIL (P. 41). Tinned butter beans are, of course, a fine alternative.

  Mango pickle is a hot, sharp and textured pickle, used widely in South and Southeast Asia, the dominant spi
ce in which is fenugreek. It shouldn’t be confused with mango chutney, which is often cloyingly sweet. We use a hot variety in our STUFFED AUBERGINE ROLLS (P. 152) and our CHICKPEA PANCAKES WITH MANGO PICKLE YOGHURT (P. 91).

  Masa harina is a flour made from nixtamalised corn. Nixtamalisation is an ancient Aztec process by which corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution before being washed and hulled. This helps with turning it into flour and boosts its nutritional value. Masa harina is used in Mexico and other parts of Central and South America to make tortillas (try our OYSTER MUSHROOM TACOS, P. 238) and tamales (try our CHEESE TAMALES, P. 158), among other things. It’s important to remember that it is not interchangeable with cornflour or polenta. You can find it at Whole Foods, most health food shops and online.

  Miso is a Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soya beans (but also sometimes rice or barley) with salt and koji, which is rice that has been inoculated with mould spores, making it sound far less delicious than it actually is. Miso is the embodiment of umami (SEE P. 35); it’s sweet, salty and meaty all at once, and can single-handedly give an incredible depth of flavour to anything you add it to. We use white miso paste in our recipes because it has the perfect balance of sweet, salty and savoury that we’re after. The aptly named Miso Tasty brand is our go-to. Try to avoid using sweet white miso paste; it is, unsurprisingly, much too sweet for savoury recipes.

  Red bell pepper flakes are the dried flakes of what Australians would call ‘capsicums’, Americans would call ‘bell peppers’ and the British would simply (or rather confusingly) call ‘peppers’. You can find bell pepper flakes in most supermarkets. Unlike chilli flakes, red bell pepper flakes are mild and sweet rather than hot, and impart a bright red colour when soaked.

  Rice vinegar is made from fermented rice grains and is widely used in China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Rice vinegar is milder, sweeter and less acidic than distilled Western vinegars, so we often use it in situations that call for a more subtle and rounded hit of acidity. Our TAHINI AND SOY DRESSING (P. 113), for example, benefits from the use of rice vinegar, as does the dressing in our TOMATO AND PLUM SALAD (P. 267).

  Rose harissa is a version of the popular North African chilli paste containing rose petals. We use a fantastic, richly spiced but not terribly hot version by Belazu. It’s not available everywhere, though, and own-brand supermarket varieties tend not to be very good. As an alternative, we opt for the Tunisian variety by Le Phare du Cap Bon (which you’re likely to find internationally in a yellow and blue tube or tin). It won’t have the rose flavour but this wouldn’t really disrupt any of our recipes. The only things to watch are the level of heat, which is much higher in Tunisian products, and the fact that they don’t contain as much oil. Our advice is to taste your harissa before you add it, increasing or decreasing the amount you use depending on how hot and strong you like things, and to add a bit of olive oil if you think the dish needs it. As a general rule, you’ll probably want to use about a third of the amount of Tunisian chilli paste when rose harissa is called for.

  Shaoxing is a wine fermented from rice. It is mildly sweet and subtly funky, similar in taste to pale dry sherry, which can be used in its place if necessary. It’s quite easy to get hold of, though, and available in many supermarkets as well as in Asian supermarkets. It adds a particularly wonderful musty aroma to the CAPONATA (P. 135), SWEET AND SOUR SPROUTS WITH CHESTNUTS AND GRAPES (P. 93), and GRILLED FIGS (P. 110).

  Tamarind paste is extracted from the sweet-sour pulp of the pod-like tamarind fruit. It’s indigenous to tropical Africa, but popular throughout Asia, South America and the Middle East. Commercial products can be a bit tricky for home cooks because they vary greatly in concentration. Generally, they are sharper and more intense than the paste you extract yourself from a block of tamarind because they have citric acid added to them, so you’ll have to double the amount the recipe calls for when making it yourself. To do that, mix a lemon-sized piece – roughly 120g – with some lukewarm water, about 60ml. After a few minutes, use your hands to mix everything together, adding a little more water if needed, so that the pulp falls away from the seeds and fibre. Pass it through a fine sieve, discarding the seeds and fibre, and store the thick paste in the fridge for up to a month.

  A NOTE ON INGREDIENTS

  Unless otherwise specified, all eggs are large, all butter is unsalted, all olive oil is extra virgin. Vegetables are trimmed, and garlic, onions and shallots are peeled (keep the trimmings and peelings to make stock). Garlic cloves are regular in size. Chillies have their stalks removed and are used with their seeds, although of course you can remove the seeds if you prefer less heat.

  Salt is table salt, but we often also call for flaked sea salt, especially when finishing dishes. Black pepper is freshly cracked (never ground).

  Parsley is flat-leaf, and both curry leaves and kaffir lime leaves are fresh, rather than dried.

  Yoghurt, crème fraîche and cream are all plain and full-fat, and can always be replaced by dairy-free alternatives, to keep things vegan.

  A NOTE ON TOASTING NUTS AND SEEDS

  We toast nuts and seeds in an oven preheated to 160°C fan, spread out on a baking tray and stirred halfway through. Flaked almonds and sesame seeds take 6–7 minutes. Pine nuts, walnuts and pistachios take around 8 minutes and whole almonds and hazelnuts take 8–10 minutes.

  A NOTE ON TEMPERATURES AND MEASUREMENTS

  All recipes have been tested in a fan-assisted oven. If cooking in a conventional oven, temperatures should be increased by 10°C–20°C, depending on your oven. Hobs and ovens all vary in how well they convect heat, so look out for visual descriptions in the method, rather than only relying on timings, to achieve desired results.

  Teaspoon and tablespoon measurements vary by region. In this book 1 teaspoon = 5ml and 1 tablespoon = 15ml.

  A NOTE ON CLING FILM, PARCHMENT AND FOIL

  All efforts have been made to minimise our use of single-use materials. Parchment and foil can often be reused, rather than discarded, and reusable food wraps can be used in place of cling film.

  PROCESS

  One of the ways to ramp up flavour in a vegetable is to subject it to a process before or during cooking. In FLAVOUR, we’ve homed in on four processes: charring, browning, infusing and ageing. These demonstrate how the application of heat, smoke or the passage of time to a vegetable or other ingredient can dramatically change, draw out or intensify its flavour. They show, in short, how flavour can be dialled up to make things even more tasty.

  Recipes have been grouped according to the main process undertaken, but there’s often more than one thing going on in the same dish. Although the oil and beans in the BUTTER BEANS IN SMOKED CASCABEL OIL (P. 41), as just one example, are infused by a pack of punchy aromatics, it’s the deep charring of these aromatics in the first place that makes the dish stand out. Such is the very nature of vegetables: varied, versatile, brilliant vegetables that come in all shapes and sizes, and can be prepared in a huge variety of ways. Nevertheless, it’s useful – when thinking about how flavour can get ramped up in a vegetable – to have a look at each process, one at a time.

  CHARRING

  In the beginning, there was fire. We are not talking about the dawn of time. We’re thinking, for now, about Yotam’s first memory of ‘cooking’. It was a potato, tossed into a bonfire along with a few onions, on the Jewish holiday of Lag BaOmer, when spiritual light is celebrated by setting real lights across the land. Despite his best intentions, though, his spiritual awakening wasn’t ignited by the lights but by the humble potato: a little ball of char, singeing his eight-year-old fingers as he peeled away its thick black skin. The steamy flesh, soft and billowy, speckled with black and tasting deep and sweet and smoky, was worth every blister on both his thumbs. This was an epic revelation.

  SUCH IS THE POWER OF HEAT, SMOKE AND SOME NEAT BLACK STRIPES

  Another big ‘first’, cooking-wise, was during the early days of Ottolenghi, when a simple salad of chargrilled broccol
i, with slivers of garlic and red chilli, swiftly and firmly embedded itself on the menu. More than a decade on, it’s still there. Our customers – many of whom tell us that they didn’t really eat broccoli until they started charring it – won’t let us take it off. For many, the experience of what broccoli can taste like is a revelation. Such is the power of heat, smoke and some neat black stripes.

  So, what’s the secret behind this charring process?

  The science is relatively simple to understand. The direct application of heat to the outside of the ingredient is creating a chemical change. On a cellular level, amino acids and sugars are rearranging themselves nicely. This leads to a concentration of flavours which, in turn, imparts a delicious complexity, bitterness and sweetness. On top of that, there’s a ‘bonus’ aroma which comes from the smoke that’s emitted as the skin singes and which is impossible to resist.

  The degree to which these things are all imparted depends on the nature of what is being charred (its size, its water content, its sugar levels), how long it is left on the heat, and how much cooking it gets elsewhere before or after it hits the grill. Some vegetables, like the ‘famous’ broccoli – but also cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, for example – need a bit of pre-grilling help, cooking-wise. We like boiling them quickly in water to allow heat to get to the core, before drying them well and throwing them on the grill with a bit of oil. Other vegetables benefit from being chargrilled in the pan first and then finished off in the oven. These tend to be the more robust, hard vegetables, such as pumpkin, sweet potato, beetroot and some cabbages.