RECIPES

Blackened chicken

with caramel and clementine dressing

Serves 4

Don’t be afraid to really char your chicken thighs here (making sure to ventilate your kitchen well) – this’ll add an intense flavour alongside the vibrant dressing and make for a very punchy eating experience. That said, you can also grill your chicken thighs in the oven, or swap them out for chicken breasts, if you prefer. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to help you easily remove the bones from the thighs, or ask your butcher to do this for you, making sure to keep the skins intact. Feel free to swap out the clementines for orange segments in the dressing; it’ll work just as well.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 large chicken thighs (1kg), boneless and skin on (850g) • 1½ tsp ground turmeric • 1 tsp chilli flakes • 1 tbsp fish sauce • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 spring onions, trimmed, washed well and dried (180g) Caramel and clementine dressing • 85g caster sugar • 30g fresh ginger, peeled and julienned • 2 red chillies, deseeded, halved widthways and julienned (20g) • 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar • 3–4 limes: 1 halved, to serve, and the rest juiced to get 3 tbsp • 2 tbsp fish sauce • 2–3 clementines (200g), peeled (140g) • 5g fresh coriander, roughly chopped, to serve

METHOD

1 Put the chicken thighs, turmeric, chilli flakes, fish sauce, oil and 1 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl and mix well to combine. Leave to marinate for an hour, or cover and refrigerate for longer (up to overnight). If the latter, remove from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. 2 Place a large cast-iron sauté pan on a medium-high heat and ventilate your kitchen well. Once hot, add half the chicken thighs, skin side down. Weigh down the thighs with a large saucepan around the same size, so they are well pressed into the pan. Cook for 6–8 minutes, or until the skin is charred and blackened. Remove the top pan and set the chicken thighs aside, then repeat with the remaining thighs. The second batch might blacken faster, so check them at the 5-minute mark. Remove all the chicken, setting it aside, and let the pan cool for 5–10 minutes. 3 If needed, drain off all but 1½ tablespoons of the fat collected in the pan and return to a medium-high heat. Add the spring onions, using a pair of tongs to coat them in the fat, then put back the chicken thighs, skin side up, and any of their juices, nestling them into the spring onions, along with 90ml of water. Cook for 8 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and leave to rest for 5 minutes before slicing each thigh into 2cm-wide strips. 4 While the chicken is cooking, make the caramel and clementine dressing. Heat a medium saucepan on a medium high heat. Once hot, turn the heat down to medium and sprinkle in the sugar to coat the base – it should immediately start to melt and colour around the sides. Swirl the pan, without stirring, so that all the sugar melts and turns deeply golden, about 1½–2 minutes. Add the ginger and chillies, and stir continuously for 45 seconds, just to take off the spicy edge. Quickly add the vinegar, lime juice and fish sauce, stirring to combine. Cook for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. 5 Use a small serrated knife to slice the clementines into 1cm thick rounds, then pull at them gently to halve them (don’t worry if they break apart further). Stir these into the cooled sauce. 6 To serve, transfer the spring onions to a large platter and top with the chicken and any pan juices. Pour the dressing all over, then sprinkle with the coriander. Lastly, squeeze over the lime halves.

Coconut broth prawns

with fried aromatics

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 750g large tiger prawns, shells and heads on • 2½ tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp tomato paste • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed • 40g fresh ginger, thinly sliced • 50g lemongrass stalks (about 4), roughly sliced • 8 large makrut lime leaves • 3 red chillies, roughly sliced • 1 tin of full-fat coconut milk (400g) • 60ml double cream, plus 2 tbsp extra to serve • 250g datterini or cherry tomatoes • 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges Fried aromatics • 105ml olive oil • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced • 2 red chillies, thinly sliced at a slight angle, seeds and all • 30g fresh ginger, peeled and julienned • 15g coconut flakes • 15g picked basil leaves

METHOD

1 Peel the prawns – remove the heads and shells and set aside. Devein them and refrigerate. 2 Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, over a medium-high heat. Add the tomato paste and prawn heads and shells and cook, stirring

occasionally, for 3 minutes or until deeply red. Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves and chillies, and cook for a minute more, until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, cream, 450ml water and 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down, cover and leave to cook for 25 minutes. Strain through a sieve set over a large bowl, pressing down on the solids. 3 Meanwhile, make the fried aromatics. Put the oil, garlic, chillies and ginger into a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the coconut flakes and a tiny pinch of salt and cook for 4 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the solids to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Add the basil leaves to the frying pan and cook for 2–3 minutes more. Drain them in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the aromatic oil. Transfer the basil to the plate of fried aromatics. 4 Add a tablespoon of the aromatic oil to the large sauté pan and place over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tomatoes and cook for 6–7 minutes, or until charred and starting to burst. Add the strained broth and simmer for 3 minutes, then keep on a low heat. 5 Heat the large frying pan on a mediumhigh heat. Toss the prawns with a teaspoon of salt and 2½ tablespoons of the aromatic oil and fry for 60–90 seconds per side. 6 Divide the broth between four bowls and top with the prawns. Squeeze a lime wedge and drizzle each bowl with ½ tablespoon of the extra cream and a teaspoon of aromatic oil. Top with the fried aromatics.

Confit leeks

with puy lentils and leek cream

Serves 4

EXTRA GOOD THINGS by Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad is published by EBURY PRESS, £25

Cooking the leeks in this way gently softens them without colouring, and releases their allium flavour into the oil. Blending the confit leeks with cream creates a lovely sauce to bring the whole dish together, which could easily stand as a substitute for gravy alongside your choice of protein. If you can’t find puy lentils, then swap them out for other lentils, such as green or beluga. Serve this dish warm or at room temperature, and eat alongside some roasted potatoes, if you like.

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg leeks, trimmed, cut into 2cm-thick rounds (white and light green parts only) (620g) • 10 garlic cloves, peeled • 10g thyme sprigs • 200ml olive oil • 150g dried puy lentils, washed • 60ml lemon juice (from 2–3 lemons) • 5g parsley leaves, roughly chopped • 5g dill leaves, roughly chopped • 5g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped • salt and black pepper Leek cream • 100g cooked confit leeks and 5 confit garlic cloves • 100ml double cream • ¾ tbsp Dijon mustard • 1 tbsp lemon juice

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. 2 Soak the cut leek rounds in a large bowl of water to get rid of any excess grit. Drain, then pat dry, being sure to keep the rounds intact. 3 Put the leeks, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper into a baking dish roughly 30cm x 20cm in size. Mix gently to combine, then pour over the oil. Arrange the leeks so they are cut side up, then cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently turn the leeks over. Cover again with foil and return to the oven for 35 minutes more, until completely softened. Remove from the oven and turn the temperature up to 180°C fan. 4 Meanwhile, cook the lentils in plenty of boiling water for 12–15 minutes, or until tender but not at all mushy. Drain well and set aside. 5 When ready, remove the confit leeks from the oven and transfer 100g of the cooked leeks plus five garlic cloves to a bowl. Add the lentils to the remaining leeks in the baking dish along with ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and mix gently to combine. Cover again with the foil and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and leave to settle for 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs. 6 While the lentils are in the oven, make the leek cream. Add the measured-out leeks and garlic to a food processor along with the cream, mustard, lemon juice and ⅛ teaspoon of salt, and blitz until smooth. 7 When ready, stir the lemon juice and the chopped herbs into the lentil and leek mixture. Transfer to a rimmed platter and serve with the leek cream in a bowl alongside.