An intriguing, spicy, fruity and hearty brunch-style dish from Ottolenghi’s Plenty
I made it based on the Plenty recipe which is reprinted here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/apr/07/foodanddrink.shopping5
An intriguing, spicy, fruity and hearty brunch-style dish from Ottolenghi’s Plenty
I made it based on the Plenty recipe which is reprinted here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/apr/07/foodanddrink.shopping5
My poor snap is a billion times worse than the one in Ottolenghi’s new book, Plenty
Adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi
Mushroom and herb polenta (serves 2):
500ml vegetable stock
80g polenta
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons thyme, chopped
50g butter, melted
50g parmesan, grated
200g chestnut mushrooms
200g jar antipasto mushrooms
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon truffle oil
100g comté, grated
- Get some oil heated in a pan and begin frying the chestnut mushrooms. Don’t move them too much, let them colour. Let them cook down for about ten minutes, until they have some give when prodded.
- Get the grill on hot while you make the polenta. Bring the stock to the boil and whisk in the polenta in a steady stream. Keep whisking until the polenta starts to come away from the edge of the pan. If you’re using old-school polenta this will take a ruddy lifetime. Use the quick-cook stuff and it will take about 3 minutes.
- Take the polenta off the heat and beat in the parmesan, butter and half the herbs. Spread into a baking dish into an even layer and pop under the grill for a minute. Let’s return to the mushrooms.
- Add the garlic, fry for a minute and then add the remaining herbs and mushrooms. Give it a good stir to warm everything through and taste for seasoning. Add the truffle oil. Get the polenta out, pour the mushrooms on top and grate a thin layer of comté over. Return to the grill and cook for another minute or two until the cheese bubbles.
This is a cheeky treat from Ottolenghi’s latest, Plenty
(It should be noted my method is adapted from Ottolenghi’s according to store cupboard and mood)
Leek fritters (serves 4):
3 leeks, sliced
1 onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon coriander
Handful of chopped parsley
150g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
50g butter, melted
1 egg
Some milk
1 egg white, whisked to soft peaks
For the garlic and coriander yoghurt:
300ml Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Handful of chopped coriander
1 garlic clove, grated
- Fry the onions and leeks gently until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool, adding the spices, parsley, some seasoning and a pinch of sugar.
- Combine the flour, whole egg, butter and baking powder and add enough milk to make a thick batter. Combine the leek mixture with this batter and fold in the whipped egg white.
- Cover the base of a pan with oil and get over a medium heat. Add large dollops of fritter mix to form pancakes and allow to brown underneath before flipping. This will take about 4 minutes on each side. Fry in batches until all done, draining on kitchen paper until needed.
- To make the yoghurt sauce, combine all the ingredients. Taste often, adding more lemon / oil / salt and pepper as required. A squeeze of lemon over the fritters wouldn’t go amiss either.
Ye gods, it was good. A firm crust on the outside with a light, bubbly texture. Soft and acidic bites of apple here and there. And an unctuous, creamy, super-sweet maple-syrup flavoured icing. Delicious! The only thing I’ve changed is the name: it’s a bit of a mouthful so I thought toffee apple cake summed it up much more tidily.
I won’t bother re-printing the recipe here, head on over to From Donuts to Delirium for the whole thing.