Yotam Ottolenghi is one of my favourite cookery book chefs. He’s a great chef but he’s at the very top of the Premier League of recipe creators and cook book producers. He makes interesting dishes that you really want to cook and yet makes them so accessible and easy to do. This is a great starter that is perfect for sharing.
In the introduction to this recipe he says ‘one of the beauties of this dish lies in the exciting contrast between the hot, juicy tomatoes and fridge-cold yoghurt, so make sure the tomatoes are straight out of the oven and the yoghurt is straight out of the fridge. The heat of the tomatoes will make the cold yoghurt melt, invitingly, so plenty of crusty sourdough or focaccia to mop it all up with is a must alongside.’
Ingredients
350 g cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp light brown sugar
3 garlic cloves , peeled and finely sliced
3 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1 lemon – zest of one half shaved off in 3 wide strips, the other half grated
salt and black pepper
250 g fridge-cold extra-thick Greek yoghurt
1 tsp urfa chilli flakes , or ½ tsp regular chilli flakes
Instructions
Heat the oven to 200°C fan
Put the tomatoes in a rimmed baking dish that’s just large enough to accommodate them all snugly. Add the oil, cumin, sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano sprigs, lemon zest strips, a pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper. Toss together with your hands.
Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to blister and the liquid is bubbling, then turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for 5 to 7 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blacken on top.
While the tomatoes are roasting, mix the yoghurt with the grated lemon zest and 1/4 tsp salt, then return to the fridge.
Once the tomatoes are ready, spread out the cold yoghurt on a large plate or shallow, wide bowl. Spoon the hot tomatoes on top, as well as the pan juices, lemon peel, garlic and herbs, and finish with the remaining oregano and chilli. Serve at once with some flatbreads or sourdough.
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