Renowned chef Yotam Ottolenghi talks "simple" cooking

Yotam Ottolenghi is one of Britain's most renowned Middle Eastern chefs. Born and raised in Jerusalem, Ottolenghi served in the Israeli army and got a degree in comparative literature, before turning his attention to food.

After cooking school in London, he teamed up with partners to found his namesake restaurant, Ottolenghi Delicatessen, where inventive vegetable dishes and gorgeous baked goods are the star attractions. It quickly gained a cult following and led to five other restaurants. He's written seven cookbooks, two of which have won James Beard awards. His latest, "Ottolenghi Simple," came out just last week.

Here are some of Ottolenghi's signature recipes: 

Cauliflower, pomegranate, and pistachio salad

Ingredients

1 extra-large cauliflower 
1 small onion, roughly sliced 
1/3 cup/80ml olive oil
Salt
1¼ cups/25g parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup/10g mint, roughly chopped
½ cup/10g tarragon, roughly chopped
Seeds from ½ medium pomegranate 
1/3 cup/40g shelled pistachios, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1½ tbsp lemon juice  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Coarsely grate a third of the cauliflower and set aside in a bowl. Break the remaining cauliflower into florets, roughly 1¼ inches/3cm wide, and add these to a separate bowl with the cauliflower leaves, if you have any, and the onion. Toss everything together with 2 tbsp of oil and ¼ tsp of salt, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. 

3. Once cool, put the roasted vegetables into a large bowl with the 3 tbsp/50ml oil, the grated cauliflower, and parsley, mint, tarragon, pomegranate seeds, pistachios, cumin, and lemon juice, along with ¼ tsp salt. Toss gently, just to combine, then transfer to a platter and serve.

Arnold's roast chicken with caraway and cranberry stuffing

Ingredients

5 tbsp unsalted butter
5 tsp caraway seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
7 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
salt
1 whole chicken 
5-6 large celery stalks, cut into ½-inch dice
1 onion, cut into ½-inch dice
3½ oz dried cranberries
3½ oz ready-cooked and peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped
4-5 slices mixed rye and wheat sourdough bread, crusts removed, lightly toasted, then roughly torn into ¾-inch pieces
¾ cup parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup chicken stock
Black pepper  

Directions

1. To make the marinade, melt 2 tbsp/30g of butter and stir in 3 tsp of the caraway seeds, 2 of the garlic cloves, the sugar, and ½ tsp salt. Place the chicken in a large bowl, rub the marinade all over it, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400°F.  

2. To make the stuffing, put the remaining 3 tbsp/40g butter into a large nonstick pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tsp of caraway seeds and fry for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the remaining 5 garlic cloves, the celery, onion, cranberries, chestnuts, and 1 tsp salt. Fry for 12-13 minutes, stirring often, until golden and softened. Tip into a medium bowl and stir in the bread, parsley, and stock.

3. Transfer the chicken to a small roasting pan. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and a grind of pepper and fill the cavity with the stuffing. Place any leftover stuffing in an ovenproof dish and put it into the oven 30-35 minutes after the chicken goes into the oven.

4. Roast the chicken for 70-75 minutes, basting every 20 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when a knife is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Fried broccoli and kale with garlic, cumin and lime

Ingredients

1 large head of broccoli cut into 1 1/2 inch florets
12 1/4 oz. curly kale
3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp Urfa chile flakes
Salt
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 tbsp lime juice

Directions

1. Place a large saucepan filled with plenty of salted water over high heat. Once boiling, add the broccoli and blanch for 90 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove the broccoli, then refresh under plenty of cold water and dry well. Keep the water at a boil and add the kale. Blanch for 30 seconds, then drain and refresh. Squeeze out as much water from the kale as you can with a clean kitchen towel and set aside. 

2. Put the oil into a large saute pan and place over high heat. Add the garlic and cumin and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring a few times until the garlic is a light golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and set aside. Add the kale to the oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until the leaves are starting to crisp. Add the broccoli, half the chile flakes and 1/4 tsp of salt. Stir through for a minute, then transfer to a large plate or dish. Gently mix in the mint and drizzle over the lime juice. Serve with remaining chile flakes and the crisp garlic sprinkled on top. 

Roasted butternut squash with lentils and dolcelatte

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into half-moons or wedges
2 red onions cut into 1 1/4-inch wedges
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup sage leaves
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup Puy lentils
1 large lemon, finely zest for 2 tsp, then juice to get 2 tbsp
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup parsley leaves (roughly chopped)
1/4 cup mint leaves (roughly chopped)
1/2 cup tarragon
3 1/2 oz dolcelatte torn into 3/4-inch pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place the squash and onions in a large bowl with 2 tbsp of oil, the sage leaves, 3/4 tsp of salt, and plenty of pepper. Mix well, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until cooked and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. 

2. While the squash is in the oven, fill a medium saucepan halfway of water and place over high heat. Once boiling, add the lentils, decrease the heat to medium, and simmer for 20 minutes until cooked. Drain, set aside to cool slightly, then place in a large bowl. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic herbs, remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1/4 tsp of salt. 

3. Add the squash and onion to the lentils and stir gently. Transfer to a serving bowl, dot with dolcelatte, drizzle with oil and serve. 

Reprinted with permission from Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi, copyright © 2018. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.