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Golden Butter-Roasted Whole Cauliflower with Green Tahini Sauce
Slow-Braised Chicken Thighs with Crispy Corn-Souffled Crust
Lacinato Kale with Preserved Lemon and Chorizo
Blueberry, Almond and Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze and Homemade Ice Cream
About the Class
I continue to binge-cook Ottolenghi. I've been trying out recipes from his newest cookbook, OTTOLENGHI SIMPLE. Some seem not-so-exceptional and some are not really all that simple. But many are great. I adore all the recipes in the menu above and really look forward to teaching this class.
The first course IS completely, utterly SIMPLE and completely, utterly DELICIOUS. I cannot recommend it enough. As we will in class, Ottolenghi serves his golden butter-roasted whole cauliflower with a lovely green tahini sauce demanding nothing more than whisking a few ingredients together in a food processor.
Even simpler, he alternatively serves it with nothing more than lemon wedges and flaky salt. However, I prefer to gild the lily. If I was less fond of tahini, I'd consider almost any vinaigrette, Caesar dressing, or whipped yogurt with garlic and feta. This roasted cauliflower is a major keeper. I fear I'll be making it weekly--even in summer.
The even-better-if-made-ahead main course is a bit more work (though not much) but well worth it. The concept is brilliant. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are pan-braised to super saucy perfection. At this point you can eat the result, proceed with the crust, or refrigerate or freeze. When ready to eat, the cooked chicken is placed in a baking dish and topped with a "crust" made from real corn kernels and eggs. The whites are whipped up separately and folded in, causing the topping to souffle a bit. Going forward, I plan to try this topping with other stews or pot pies of all sorts. I can't wait to experiment. However, I also want to make this exact recipe again and again.
Combining robust dark lacinato kale with rich flavor-bursts of preserved lemon and spicy chorizo, and lots of garlic and paprika results in an as-good-as-it-gets braised greens dish. A not-too-heavy first course--alone or or on toast--or served as I do here as a side dish to accompany almost anything. It's especially good with grilled and roasted meat and poultry.
Ottolenghi's Blueberry, Almond and Lemon Loaf Cake provides an ideal finale to this hearty meal. With it's subtle hint of almond, this citrus and berry-laden velvety pound cake offers just enough richness without overwhelming. Topped with lemon glaze and served a la mode (at class but not necessary), it's a timeless classic, equally great for dessert, after school snacking, packed in a lunchbox or on a summer picnic. And personally, I love it--lightly toasted--for breakfast.
These recipes fairly simple (certainly no stress) and (at least for me) represent Ottolenghi at his best and most approachable.