By Christine Salins.
It’s hard to imagine that Yotam Ottolenghi has ingredients like black rice, polenta and dried chickpeas lurking forlornly at the back of his pantry. But the renowned cookbook author is apparently as guilty as the rest of us in buying ingredients, using part of the packet and storing the remainder for an eternity.
I guess like many of us did during lockdown, Ottolenghi began clearing his cupboards and using what he had to hand rather than making trips to the grocery store.
The team from his test kitchen also began raiding their kitchens for that last can of chickpeas or forgotten bag of frozen peas. They shared their creations online and eventually pooled their triumphs in Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love (Ebury Press, $49.99).
It’s the eighth book in the Ottolenghi stable but this one really is Ottolenghi unplugged. A collaboration between Ottolenghi and the head of his test kitchen, Noor Murad, it draws on ingredients from the pantry, fridge and freezer, presenting them in flexible, approachable recipes for everyday home cooking.
Ottolenghi’s signature touches are still there of course, including big flavours, vegetables at the forefront, and an array of influences. Although his food is rooted in Jerusalem and the Middle East, he gives them wow factor with ingredients and techniques from around the globe.
The book was written during Covid with the recipes tested in real homes using whatever ingredients were at hand. Yet he doesn’t see it as a pandemic book, more as a guide to maximising what you’ve got.
He shows how to flex with fewer ingredients, get creative with pantry staples, and add playful twists to classic dishes. The comfort food dish of cauliflower cheese is presented as a pie in the recipe here.
More Test Kitchen books are planned, each one aimed at equipping home cooks with skills and solutions.
Curried Cauliflower Cheese Filo Pie
Serves 4, generously
1 large cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-size florets (700g)
2 tsp mild curry powder
3 tbsp olive oil
100g unsalted butter, 50g cut into roughly 3cm cubes and 50g melted
75g plain flour
675ml whole milk
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1½ tbsp English mustard
150g mature cheddar, roughly grated
6 sheets of good-quality filo pastry
salt and black pepper
1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley, to serve
1½ tsp lemon zest, to serve
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Line the bottom and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.
- Put the cauliflower on a large, parchment-lined baking tray and toss with the curry powder, half the oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and lightly coloured. Set aside and turn the oven temperature down to 170°C fan.
- Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Put the cubed butter into a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat and, once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes – it should start to smell nutty (like popcorn). Turn the heat down to medium and slowly add the milk a little at a time, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps, until incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Cook, whisking often, for about 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Off the heat, stir in the garlic, mustard, cheese and ¼ teaspoon of salt until the cheese has melted.
- Keep your filo sheets under a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out. In a bowl, combine the melted butter and the remaining 1½ tablespoons of oil and keep to one side.
- Working one sheet at a time, brush the exposed side of the filo with the butter mixture and drape it into your prepared tin (buttered side up), pushing it down gently to fit. Continue in this way with the next filo sheet, brushing it with butter and then laying it over the bottom sheet, rotating it slightly so the overhang drapes over the sides at a different angle. Do this with all six sheets.
- Spoon half the béchamel into the base and top with the roasted cauliflower florets. Spoon over the remaining béchamel, then crimp up the overhang so that it creates a messy ‘scrunched-up’ border around the edges, leaving the centre of the pie exposed.
- Brush the top of the filo border with the remaining butter mixture, then transfer the tin to a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.
- Using a tea towel to help you, carefully release the outer circle of the springform tin and return the pie to the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sides are nicely coloured and everything is golden and bubbling. Leave to settle for 15 minutes.
- Top the pie with the parsley and lemon zest and serve warm.
Recipe from: Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi (Ebury Press, $49.99). Photography by Elena Heatherwick.
