Ottolenghi: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Notes about this Book

Notes about Recipes in this Book

• Chocolate fudge cake

  • Jane on September 01, 2010

    What a fabulous cake, loved the texture and the flavor. Adding the second layer of cake to cook for less time makes it special.

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    Very good. Nice texture.

• French beans and mangetout with hazelnut and orange

  • Jane on May 10, 2011

    Very delicious side dish (I served it with roast pork belly and roast potatoes). Since it is served at room temperature everything can be prepped in advance then just mixed together before serving. My son who doesn't like many vegetables loved this so it will now be on rotation.

  • seherhussain on October 30, 2011

    pretty good and easy to have as a side as its served as room temp. make sure to season with plenty of salt + pepper

• Chargrilled cauliflower with tomato, dill and capers

  • Jane on May 15, 2011

    Loved this and it was just as good cold the next day as a salad. I ran out of time so didn't dry the cooked cauliflower florets and char-grill them in a griddle pan. I will try to do that next time but even without that step I thought this was a fantastic vegetable dish. The dressing of capers, wholegrain mustard, garlic and cider vinegar plus the dill made for a really flavorful dish. And the red, white and green of cherry tomatoes, cauliflower and spinach was so pretty. I will definitely be making this again. This time I served it with the Marinated turkey breast with cumin, coriander and white wine on p.126.

• Turkey and sweetcorn meatballs with roasted pepper sauce

  • Jane on May 15, 2011

    I loved this - the combination of the strong, spicy roasted pepper sauce with the mild meatballs was lovely. Next time I think I'll just go the oven route like SueMmm as I found the meatballs rather soft and they also stuck quite a bit in the pan while I was browning them. The meatballs in the photo in the book look so evenly browned - I can never get my meatballs that even. Definitely a keeper.

  • Breadcrumbs on May 10, 2011

    p. 125 -Let me just say, we LOVED these. I thought they were outstanding. The wonderful roasted red pepper sauce was a perfect match for the sweet, tender meatballs. In the sauce I used one Thai bird chili vs mild, doubled the garlic and cider vinegar. Blended w Bamix (great!). Meatballs made as directed except doubled garlic, skipped cilantro, and reduced cumin to 1tsp.YO has you brown the meatballs on the stove then finish in the oven. I simply baked them in the oven @ 375 for 25 mins. As I mentioned we thought this dish was just wonderful. Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered to us what was served alongside, these were the star of our show tonight! I’ll serve these again for dinner, as hors d’oeuvres or well, just any old time!! We could eat these here or there, we could eat these anywhere!! What more can I say?!!

  • pikawicca on July 20, 2010

    Made with ground chicken. We loved this! Double if you're making for 4, though. Don't double the sauce -- it makes a ton. (I used the leftovers as a pasta sauce.) Although I normally like Middle Easter food served at room temp, I think these might be better straight from the oven.General Ottolenghi note: His olive oil and spice requirements are often wildly off. I didn't use nearly the amounts of cumin or EVOO called for. (I did use a bit more lemon juice and pomegranate molasses, however.)

  • L.Nightshade on May 22, 2011

    I followed both recipes pretty closely, except that I tend to round up slightly with spices, and I used a smaller amount of oil in a non-stick pan. Also, my red peppers were a little more bitter than usual, so after tasting the finished sauce, I added a touch more sweet chili sauce and that seemed to brighten it right up. Although I was a little doubtful about browning the turkey balls in the pan and cooking in the oven for only five minutes, they were perfectly done. We liked this dish quite a lot. I especially liked the turkey-corn-cumin flavor combination. The red pepper sauce adds a nice contrast, in both taste and appearance.

• Marinated turkey breast with cumin, coriander and white wine

  • Jane on May 15, 2011

    For once I got myself organized in advance and marinated the turkey breast for the full 24 hours. The marinade was mint, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, white wine and olive oil. My marinade was much greener than in the book photo - that looks like the herbs are still quite chunky rather than pureed into a smooth sauce. Anyway, mine was delicious. very moist, great flavor and the marinade heated up as a sauce was really good. I served it with Chargrilled cauliflower with tomato, dill and capers on p.51

• Marinated aubergine with tahini and oregano

  • Jane on May 15, 2011

    I thought this was so delicious I couldn't stop myself sneaking pieces every time I passed the dish as it was marinading. I made the tahini sauce and although it was good I think I preferred it without the sauce. There seemed to be a lot more herbs in the photo in the book than I had but I thought it was great as it was. Half the recipe was left over (cannot get my kids to eat eggplant) so I'll see if it's even better tomorrow.

  • L.Nightshade on May 22, 2011

    I started the eggplant on a grill pan for char marks, so it only took about 10 minutes to finish in the oven. The amount of green herb called for in the recipe is insufficient to make it look like the photo in the book, I'd multiply them next time to assure herbs in every bite. I marinated the eggplant for about eight hours in the refrigerator, brought it to room temperature before serving. I think I slightly prefer the warm eggplant with sesame dressing from the ENYT. but that dish has a more asian taste. This one works well with Mediterranean flavors

• Fennel and feta with pomegranate seeds and sumac

  • Jane on May 18, 2011

    I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I have never cooked with sumac before. That will now be rectified as I have a little jar from Penzey’s and I will definitely make this salad again. I followed the recipe to the letter – although pomegranates are out of season I was able to buy one of those packs of the seeds. The balance of the licorice-ish fennel and tarragon, the creamy feta and the tangy pomegranate plus the tartness of the sumac, made for a really interesting mouthful. The only thing I might do differently when I make it again is leave out the tarragon as that flavor was a bit dominant.

  • Franci on November 30, 2011

    Very nice flavor. I did really like tarragon and fennel together.

  • sharifah on January 02, 2012

    I don't like the taste of raw fennel - its a bit too aniseed-y. But this recipe changed my outlook on raw fennel. Have to make sure the fennel is sliced really thinly, and somehow the combo of feta, sumac & pomegranate mixes well and masks the aniseed taste. Would make this again

• Roast chicken with sumac, za'atar and lemon

  • Jane on May 20, 2011

    I actually was disappointed with this dish, the first time that has happened with an Ottolenghi recipe. It's probably my own fault as I didn't marinate the chicken for long enough - just 1.5 hours rather than his recommendation of a few hours to overnight. Also I think my za'atar was rather stale. And I hadn't noticed cjb's recommendation to line the pan with foil, which would have been a good idea as the pan was a complete mess. But even with all those shortcomings from my side I don't feel interested enough in this to make it again.

  • Breadcrumbs on May 02, 2011

    p. 122 -Happy to report the recipe did not disappoint; we loved it. I used a mandoline to slice my onions super-thin, I used a large zip-lock bag to marinate the chicken overnight. The Za’atar I used was purchased pre-mixed at a local Persian market it was imported from Jordan.The caramelized onions and lemon, the earthy pop of the pine nuts and the herb and spice infused chicken pieces all came together to make a wonderful, delicious dish. We loved this, I’ll definitely make it again. I served it w some Tzatziki on the side and the Greek-Style Potatoes with Lemon and Thyme from A New Way To Cook, a past COTM by Sally Schneider. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/641714#6508331

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    Quite good! Line pan with foil.

  • L.Nightshade on May 22, 2011

    Sorry to report that this dish didn't hit home with us. I was pretty excited about it, and I very much liked the aroma while cooking. I also liked the idea of roasting the chicken on a tray together with the onions, etc. I did marinate the chicken for over eight hours, but didn't feel that the tastes really merged, or that the chicken picked up a lot of flavor. And as much as I like pine nuts, I felt they were just sitting on top of the chicken without a lot of purpose. I had fresh, fragrant za'atar, so I don't think that is the issue either. Don't get me wrong, we didn't hate it, it was decent, just not great. Could try it again and brine the chicken first, but I don't think I give it a second go.

• Apple and olive oil cake with maple icing

  • Jane on June 01, 2011

    We liked this but didn't love it. It seemed rather dry, despite all the olive oil, but I may have overcooked it a bit, though I took it out the oven a couple of minutes early. If I make it again I think I'd start checking after 70 minutes as a cake baking for 90 minutes presumably has quite a bit of variation for different ovens. The maple icing was delicious though I wasn't at home so didn't have my stand mixer so had to mix it by hand, which meant it wasn't as smooth as I think it would have been with the paddle attachment.

  • herbietea on December 31, 2011

    Page 192

• Couscous with dried apricots and butternut squash

  • Jane on October 29, 2011

    Really good side dish. Quite sweet with caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash and cinnamon but very tasty. I didn't have all the fresh herbs the recipe called for but it worked just fine with mint and chives.

  • Franci on February 27, 2012

    It wasn't bad but I found it too sweet for my taste

• Camargue red rice and quinoa with orange and pistachios

  • Cheri on March 31, 2011

    Fabulous. Good Potluck dish. Interesting flavors. Yumm!

  • pikawicca on July 20, 2010

    A crowd pleaser and summer favorite.

  • csafreno on January 10, 2011

    I found this recipe on a blog and have been making it for a couple of years now. One of my all-time favorites. The dish that got me to buy the cookbook.

• Buttered prawns with tomato, olives and Arak

  • Breadcrumbs on May 03, 2011

    p. 150 - This makes for a super-quick and delicious weeknight meal. I was concerned that the shrimp would be over-cooked if they were to hit the pan prior to the other ingredients so, I started out by adding the butter and a tiny splash of olive oil to a hot wok and then stirring in the garlic and chilies and finally the remaining ingredients. This dish has very few ingredients but it’s the Pernod/Arak that shines by tying everything together and truly enhancing all the other components of the dish. If it weren’t so gosh darn unhealthy, I’d be happy to drink a glass full of that lovely tomato-infused slightly spicy Pernod butter sauce!! I'd definitely make this again. K-9

• Carmelised endive with serrano ham

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    Wow!

• Fennel, cherry tomato and crumble gratin

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    Excellent

  • owaint on November 22, 2010

    Really tasty, a good accompaniment to the marinated rack of lamb on p. 104. Needs plenty of salt and the crumble recipe should have the sugar reduced when used with something savoury like this.

• Chickpeas and spinach with honeyed sweet potato

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    Very good.

• Parmesan and poppy biscuits

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    Very good! Definitely addictive.

• Caramel and macadamia cheesecake

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    Very good!

• Plum, marzipan and cinnamon muffins

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    Very good - but use VERY ripe plums. I put the compote in but not on.

• Sticky chocolate loaf

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    I liked a lot, but not everyone did.

• Pistachio shortbreads

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    Should be called Cardamom Shortbreads w/Pistachios. Very nice flavor and texture, but nobody loved.

• Almond and orange Florentines

  • cjb on June 26, 2010

    Passover friendly! If grinding own icing sugar.

• Cucumber and poppy seed salad

  • fiona on January 02, 2011

    This is such a simple salad but transforms a cucumber into something exotic. I've made it several times and everyone loves it.

  • mfto on August 02, 2011

    p 20 very simple - if using European cucumber, cut it lengthwise in half and remove seeds - then cut in slices - try Seductions of Rice method of salting cucumbers to remove excess water from cucumber.

• Orange polenta cake

  • fiona on August 12, 2011

    This is definitely going into my Favorites - everything I love about a cake. The almonds and polenta give it a wonderful texture and the orange flavor is intense but not too much. I was worried about over cooking it, as I'd read a review saying it was quite dry so took it out at 40mins. Though that person could have been following the recipe in Gourmet (which the online link goes to) as it says 60-75mins . That would be far too long - if you want it moist do closer to 45 min. Most of it got eaten by the book group ladies but some left, and just as good the next day.

• Roast potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes with lemon and sage

  • lizwinn on December 18, 2010

    The layers of flavors are fantastic.....a new family favorite. An excellent main dish for vegan guests.

• Baked okra with tomato and ginger

  • ComeUndone on July 26, 2010

    Fresh tasting vegetarian dish. Okra was minimally slimey. Love the sweetness of tomato with the heat from ginger.

• Beef and lamb meatballs baked in tahini

  • ComeUndone on July 06, 2010

    Great make ahead dish. I flash freeze the meatballs and finish them in the oven with the tahini sauce just before serving.

  • amraub on May 16, 2012

    Quick and easy, so it's perfect for a weeknight dinner, but plenty of flavour and good enough for company. Served with roasted asparagus. The extra sauce worked very well with the asparagus.

• Butterbeans with sweet chilli sauce and fresh herbs

  • ComeUndone on September 01, 2010

    Too sweet and too spicy at the same time. http://www.flickr.com/photos/wscwong/4694484310

• Cauliflower and cumin fritters with lime yoghurt

  • MMarlean on August 15, 2010

    Served in a pita with hummus and tomato. So very good!! Outstanding!

• Pear and Amaretto crumble cake

  • jifar on September 10, 2010

    used 150g apple and 100g dried pear and added some ground almonds to the crumble.

• Red lentil and chard soup

  • Emily Hope on November 18, 2010

    This was quite tasty--Indian-inspired. A bit fiddly (as most of the recipes seem to be) but not too bad. I like the tarka-ish idea of the coriander and garlic sauteed separately and put in at end. I put it quite a bit more chard than suggested--didn't do wonders for the texture which was a bit thick, but I appreciated the extra veg. Great with a dollop of greek yogurt on top.

  • micheleK on July 06, 2011

    The lemon does make the difference. Be sure have it on hand.

  • Franci on February 27, 2012

    I liked so much more Nigel's Slater Lentils and chard soup with mint.I don't enjoy much the red lentils unless mixed with other lentils for an interesting texture.

• Seared duck breasts with blood orange and star anise

  • csafreno on January 10, 2011

    Very nice dish. Cooking time for the duck was just a bit too long for my taste, but the flavors are delicious. The fennel rub and blood orange really show through, and the dried chilis give it a nice little kick.

• Barbecued quail with mograbiah salad

  • TrishaCP on July 26, 2011

    The flavor of the barbecue is really delicious. I didn't use quail- instead I subbed in the dark meat chicken (thigh) as suggested.

• Carrot, apple and pecan muffins

  • TrishaCP on January 21, 2012

    Tasty but very very sweet. I would definitely reduce the amount of sugar the next time I make these.

• Pistachio and ginger biscuits

  • micheleK on June 26, 2011

    Wasn't sure whether oven temp was for fan forced, so lowered it. Wrong. Loaf was mushy in middle. Back into oven. Did spread a lot. Followed oven temp for 2nd baking. Biscotti disappeared off plate very quickly! Might add a little more ground Ginger next time, but that's just me. Really enjoyed them.

• Chargrilled asparagus, courgettes and manouri

  • owaint on November 22, 2010

    Well worth making, a good summer dish. I find that baby spinach works better than rocket.

• Puy lentils with sour cherries, bacon and Gorgonzola

  • owaint on November 22, 2010

    Really interesting flavours which work well together. It's probably best as a starter sized portion as the novelty does *slightly* wear off with larger quantities.

• Kosheri

  • owaint on November 22, 2010

    An amazing rice dish - even my rice-phobic other half likes it! Goes really well with the beef and lamb meatballs in this book.

• Harira (lamb, chickpeas and spinach)

  • owaint on November 22, 2010

    Really disappointing, I used too much saffron which didn't help but the dish is quite boring - unusual for this book.

  • usingSpoons on October 01, 2011

    I really liked this recipe. Only used a little saffron, but you could still taste it distinctly. I added about half a cup of red lentils in addition to the chickpeas which helped to thicken the soup.

• Marinated rack of lamb with coriander and honey

  • owaint on November 22, 2010

    Really nice, goes very well with the Fennel Gratin on page 52.

• Courgette-wrapped lamb kebabs

  • owaint on November 22, 2010

    Dry bread instead of cous-cous works better. Need plenty of seasoning and to be browned REALLY well. A bit more courgette is a good thing too.

• Oxtail stew with pumpkin and cinnamon

  • owaint on November 22, 2010

    A very good spicy stew recipe. Ox cheeks work well to and are easier to eat than oxtail - might even be worth using the cheeks as a main meat but sticking some of the thin oxtail pieces you get in to give some bone flavour/gelatin. Probably needs some water/stock adding before going in the oven. Be careful with the orange zest, doesn't need much. Serve with just some garlic bread, it's substantial enough to not need much else.

• Pan-fried sea bass on pita with labneh, tomato and preserved lemon

  • owaint on November 22, 2010

    Excellent starter/mid-sized dish. The labneh is really interesting and very easy to make - well worth the limited effort. Don't use too much dried chilli in the salsa as it can overpower the fish flavour. The pomegranate seeds are essential and really lift the falvour and appearance of this dish. If using shop bought preserved lemons a single fruit would do for probably up to 6 people.

• Crumble

  • owaint on November 22, 2010

    Make sure to use a lot less sugar if using for the savoury fennel gratin dish in this book.

• Roasted beef fillet (plus 3 sauces)

  • L.Nightshade on June 04, 2011

    I made two of the three sauces to accompany grilled beef filet. The sauce with watercress and mustard seemed a bit too similar to the sauce with rocket and horseradish, so I made only the latter. The green sauce is a simple puree of rocket, horseradish (I used jarred, still can't find fresh), garlic, olive oil, milk, salt, and pepper. Once pureed, greek yogurt is added and stirred in. What could be easier? Choka, the red sauce is made from cooked tomatoes (burnt in the skillet per directions, I charred in the oven instead), sauteed onion, mild red chile (I also roasted the chile), garlic, cilantro, paprika, oil, chile flakes, salt and pepper. We liked both of these sauces quite a bit. The choka does have a smoky taste which is perfect for grilled beef. The green sauce is a refreshing contrast. Together, they make a colorful plate.

• Roast chicken with saffron, hazelnuts and honey

  • L.Nightshade on June 04, 2011

    I followed the recipe exactly, except for cutting the chicken into six pieces as we found the four-piece cut in the other chicken recipe a bit unwieldy. We loved everything about this dish, the smells while cooking, the textural contrasts, the beguiling flavors. I would warn against this dish for people who don't like floral, perfume-like essences in their foods. The rose water is very prevalent in both smell and taste. I loved it. The taste and heady aroma just transported me to an exotic locale.

• Roasted butternut squash with burnt aubergine and pomegranate molasses

  • L.Nightshade on May 22, 2011

    It was a revelation to me that I didn't have to peel the butternut squash, all the time I've wasted in the past! The skin is pretty edible after roasting. I was a little to conservative with the olive oil, you can see that my slices look a little dry. But we thought this was very tasty. I like the nuts, seeds, and basil scattered over the top. I can't really say that I could taste the nigella in such a small amount, I might up the volume a little next time. It is basically a very easy dish. Burning the eggplant takes a little time, but I did mine under the broiler so I didn't have to tend it constantly. You need a sauce if you want the nuts and seeds to cling to a bite of squash. I might try a variation by just tossing the squash first in olive oil, and then in the same toasted nuts and seeds but coarsely ground.

• Crushed new potatoes with horseradish and sorrel

  • L.Nightshade on May 22, 2011

    We were very happy with this dish. I saw it as more of a warm potato salad. I used baby red potatoes, fresh sorrel, jarred horseradish (no fresh to be found), and fage yogurt. And of course, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. I just smashed the potatoes a bit, there was still plenty of particulate matter. I plated it with upland cress and sliced scallions. The sorrel added a nice flavor, next time I might even add a bit more than the recipe states. The funny thing about this dish is that I kept wanting to taste more salt, even though I had actually added enough. I realized that I was looking at the red potato skins and expecting to taste prosciutto! Maybe I'll try it that way next time.

• Seared tuna with pistachio crust and papaya salsa

  • L.Nightshade on May 22, 2011

    The salsa takes longer than the tuna, just the time spent chopping mango, cucumber, red chiles, ginger, and red onion. The chopped ingredients are tossed with fish sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, and caster sugar. I bought ahi tuna steaks for this, instead of the specified loin cut into cylinders. The tuna is very easy. It is first seared in a pan, then brushed with dijon mustard and coated with ground pistachios mixed with a little lemon zest. It is finished in the oven. Well, just lovely. The salsa is so good I could eat it with a spoon. It would be great in fish tacos too. I loved the pistachio, mustard, and tuna combination. We like to err to the rare on our tuna, and I had a little trouble with the timing. It's hard to tell when a fish is done when it's crusted with nuts. But it came out fine. A very enjoyable dish, it's going into my rotating list for sure

• White chocolate and cranberry biscuits

  • lilham on April 12, 2012

    I was afraid this will be very sweet with the white chocolate and dried cranberries. But it is just the right about of sweetness, and a very nice texture with the oats and dried cranberries. Ottolenghi asked you to form the dough into balls the size between an olive and a walnut. I made it slightly bigger than a kalamata olives and the resulting cookie is very small. Maybe Ottolenghi uses much larger olives than I do? If you are making tiny cookies the size of olives, you don't need to put them 6-7cm apart as instructed. I used 4-5cm and it's fine.

• Roasted sweet potato with pecan and maple

  • Franci on February 27, 2012

    Out of 4 people, 2 the one wiith a sweet tooth, liked it a lot, me and my husband find it way too sweet, need to cut the sugar and top with acidity.

• Tamara's stuffed vine leaves

  • Franci on February 27, 2012

    Careful when adding the rest of the filling ingredient to the rice, it burns easily. It tasted good especially the day after but in this recipe I found Ottolenghi was not as bold as usual. I definitely like more herbs in my stuffed vine leaves.

• Mascarpone cream

  • herbietea on December 31, 2011

    Page 278

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Reviews about this Book

Reviews about Recipes in this Book

• Chocolate fudge cake

  • Not So Humble Pie

    It is hard to describe. It is like a cross between a cake and a baked chocolate mousse or soufflé...It packs a lot of dark chocolate and is probably best reserved for the most of ardent chocoholics.

    Full review

• Focaccia (plus three toppings)

  • Gourmet Chick

    The focaccia takes its time but sometimes the good things in life can't be rushed.

    Full review

• Chickpeas and spinach with honeyed sweet potato

  • Eats Well with Others

    Thankfully, you can eat both healthy and delicious food. Simultaneously. This dish being the prime example. The sweet potatoes, which are simmered in a mix of honey and water are addictive.

    Full review

• Chargrilled asparagus, courgettes and manouri

  • Drool Factor

    What a delightful combination...I did find the dish a tad too oily for my liking (and I did not even use the full amount of olive oil stated in the recipe). Would recommend that less oil be used.

    Full review

• Camargue red rice and quinoa with orange and pistachios

  • 101 Cookbooks

    ...a substantial, color-flecked platter showcasing citrus-dressed grains punctuated by pistachios, dried apricots, and arugula.

    Full review

• Almond and orange Florentines

  • David Lebovitz

    These crispy Florentines are super-simple to make, requiring just a few ingredients mixed together and baked. Who doesn’t love that?

    Full review

• Sticky chocolate loaf

  • Chocolate & Zucchini

    This produces a voluptuous cake that is moist-crumbed and deeply aromatic (but not at all boozy), and one I plan to make again soon, possibly in cupcake form.

    Full review

• ISBN 10 0091922348
• ISBN 13 9780091922344
• Linked ISBNs
  • 9781446407097 eBook (United Kingdom) 12/15/2010
• Published May 01 2008
• Format Hardcover
• Language English
• Countries United Kingdom
• Publisher Ebury Press
• Imprint Ebury Press

Publishers Text

Other cookbooks by this author

• Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
• Plenty
• Plenty
• Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi