Oren, page 4
If using a charcoal grill to cook the pork, then first preheat until the coals are white; alternatively, heat a griddle plan over a high heat. Season the pork chop generously with sea salt on both sides and grill the chop for 5–7 minutes on one side, then turn and grill on the other side for 4–6 minutes. The pork is done when it has a light pink colour in the middle before resting. Remove from the grill and set aside on a tray or a plate to rest for 7–8 minutes.
In a small saucepan, heat 6–8 garlic cloves, and the preserved lemon, with about ½ teaspoon of confit garlic oil.
Carve the rested pork off the bone into 1 cm (½ in)-thick slices.
Sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle the garlic and preserved lemon over the pork.
BARBECUED, MARINATED SPATCHCOCKED QUAIL WITH PRESERVED LEMON SALSA VERDE
A Pernod-based marinade, charcoal-charred skin and a punch of preserved lemon means this dish is a real festival of flavour. Spatchcocking the quail is a vital step here: it gives the meat a greater surface area, meaning you can quickly cook the bird without any parts of it drying out, resulting in delicious, succulent meat. The marinade helps with this, too, as the alcohol cures the meat slightly, helping it cook more quickly and evenly, as well as lending it a slight aniseed flavour. I really recommend you cook this over the barbecue to get that lovely, charred finish. The accompanying salsa verde is quite a classic recipe, but the addition of preserved lemon, which pairs so well with poultry, adds depth and a kick.
Tip: This could also be made with poussin.
Serves 2
2 spatchcocked quails
sea salt
For the marinade
3½ tablespoons Pernod
25 ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
20 g (¾ oz) oregano leaves, picked
50 g (¾ oz) honey
4 garlic cloves, crushed
For the salsa verde
3 garlic cloves
5 tinned anchovy fillets, in oil
2 teaspoons capers
20 g (¾ oz) Preserved Lemon
50 g (1¾ oz) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped with stalks discarded
30 g (1 oz) basil, finely chopped with stalks discarded
15 g (½ oz) oregano, finely chopped with stalks discarded
15 g (½ oz) mint, finely chopped with stalks removed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
150 ml (5 fl oz/⅔ cup) olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the marinade ingredients, put the quails in a container and pour the marinade over the quails. Rub the marinade into the quails, then cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
To make the salsa verde, first finely chop the garlic with the anchovies, capers and preserved lemon, then put in a bowl with all the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Take the quails out of the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking and remove the excess marinade with paper towel (keeping the marinade aside for brushing when grilling).
Preheat a charcoal grill. Grill the quails for 4–5 minutes on each side, brushing them occasionally with the marinade. The quails should be cooked until pink close to the leg bone – do not overcook them as this will make them tough and dry to eat. Sprinkle with sea salt and a generous amount of the salsa verde. Eat with your fingers.
STONE-BAKED FLATBREADS WITH CURED SARDINES AND PRESERVED LEMON
This dish makes a nice starter when you have guests over: it feels quite simple, but has complex flavours. When we make flatbreads at the restaurant we use a pizza oven, but I’ve given instructions for using a pizza stone in a domestic oven – you won’t get quite the same result, but it will still be delicious.
Serves 4
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
sea salt
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
For the flatbreads
250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) lukewarm water
315 g (11 oz/2½ cups) ‘00’ flour
35 g (1¼ oz) semolina flour
pinch of sugar
⅛ teaspoon active dried yeast
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
To garnish
12 Cured Sardines
1 teaspoons finely chopped Preserved Lemon
To make the flatbread dough, pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flours, sugar, yeast and olive oil, and mix on low speed for 2 minutes, then add the salt. (Alternatively, mix the ingredients in a bowl and then knead by hand for about 20 minutes.) Continue mixing on a slow speed for 15 minutes until the dough is elastic. It should be very soft and still a bit sticky. Transfer the dough to a large container with a lid and prove for 24–48 hours in the refrigerator. You can leave the dough in the refrigerator for up to 4 days to develop the flavour.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator 4–5 hours before baking. Cut the dough into four pieces. With floured hands, form the dough into balls. Place on a tray without any flour, leaving space between them, and cover with a dish towel to prove at room temperature for about 3 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
To bake the flatbreads, you can either use a stone pizza oven or a pizza stone in a domestic oven. If using a pizza oven, preheat it to 350°C (660°F). Using a dough scraper, place a ball of dough onto a ‘00’-floured surface. Press the dough with both hands from the centre to the edge to deflate the dough. Turn the piece of dough and repeat this process on the other side, then lift the dough and stretch it between your fingers until the dough is about 25 cm (10 in) long and 10 cm (4 in) wide. Scatter some onion slices and salt over the flatbread. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Using a pizza peel or a wooden board, slide the dough into the hot oven and bake for about 2 minutes, or until the bread has risen and developed a nice golden-brown colour.
If you are using a domestic oven with a stone, preheat your oven to its maximum temperature with the stone inside for 1 hour before baking. Repeat the process above and bake the flatbread for 4–5 minutes or until risen and golden-brown. Repeat to bake the remaining bread.
While the flatbreads are still warm, lay each flatbread with three sardine fillets and some chopped preserved lemon, sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with olive oil.
CHALLAH WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND ZA’ATAR
This recipe is inspired by the challah made by my extremely talented friend Uri Scheft, who runs Lehamim Bakery in Tel Aviv and founded Breads Bakery in New York. I’ve known him for fifteen years – I used to buy bread from him when I was head chef at a restaurant in Israel, and we’ve been friends ever since.
This recipe can be adapted to suit the foods you’re serving it with, but the combination of preserved lemon and za’atar here is truly special, and the smell when it comes out of the oven is irresistible.
Makes 3 loaves
320 ml (11 fl oz/1 ⅓ cups) lukewarm water
30 g (1 oz) fresh yeast (or 15 g/½ oz active dried yeast)
800 g (1 lb 12 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 large eggs, plus an extra egg (beaten) for egg wash
80 g (2¾ oz/generous ⅓ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
2 ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
60 g (2¼ oz/4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
90 g (3¼ oz) Preserved Lemon, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons za’atar, to sprinkle
Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and crumble in the fresh yeast. (If using dried yeast, then it needs to be activated in water before being added.) To activate the yeast, place in a bowl with 50 ml (1¾ fl oz) of the total amount of water until bubbles start to appear.
Add the flour, eggs, sugar, salt and melted butter, and mix on a slow speed for 4 minutes, until incorporated. Add the chopped preserved lemons, increase the speed and mix for another 5 minutes until the dough is elastic. Remove the dough from the bowl and roll it into a ball.
Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a dish towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Cut the dough into thirds and divide each third into three pieces. Roll each piece until it is 25 cm (10 in) long, then braid. To do this, on a clean surface, position three lengths of dough side by side and press the lengths together at the end furthest away from you so they hold in one piece. Braid the lengths into a plait, then press the bottom ends together to seal. Repeat with the remaining six lengths of dough to make three loaves. Arrange the three challah on a three baking sheets, cover with a dish towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 35 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/gas 3). Brush the risen loaves with the beaten egg and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of za’atar on each loaf. Bake in the for about 22 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let the loaves cool for at least 1 hour before eating.
I really love tomatoes – this ingredient is home to me. They were a dominant part of the food I grew up with in Israel, and remain a key feature in the dishes that I prepare at the restaurant now. They are so versatile – they can be grilled, slow-roasted, sliced raw into salads – and every preparation reveals a different flavour, from sweet to acid to bold.
I feel lucky to have grown up in a sunny country where good-quality tomatoes are abundant, and every time I go back to visit, I’m amazed by the rich variety of fresh tomatoes available, many of which are grown in Arava in the south, close to the border with Jordan.
This is one of those ingredients where it really is worth spending more money and getting the best quality you can – they make all the difference to a dish. I find you can really taste the sun in them.
LIBYAN CHRAIME SAUCE
Chraime is a traditional Libyan fish dish. ‘Chraime’ means ‘hot’ in Arabic. I pair it with monkfish, but really it would suit all manner of grilled meat, fish or vegetables that have a bit of structure and bite.
Makes about 500 ml (17 fl oz/generous 2 cups)
3½ tablespoons vegetable oil
20 g (¾ oz) garlic cloves, grated
1½ tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1½ tablespoons ground caraway seeds
1 teaspoon hot chilli powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
125 g (4½ oz/1 cup) tomato purée (paste)
400 ml (13 fl oz/generous 1½ cups) water
25 ml (¾ fl oz) lemon juice
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, then add all the spices and salt and reduce the heat to low. Stir for 3–4 minutes, still stirring occasionally. Add the tomato purée, keep stirring for a further 2 minutes, then start whisking in the water, a third at a time. Cook over a low heat for 35 minutes until the sauce has a sharp and distinct spice flavour and the spices don’t taste raw anymore. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and leave to cool.
MATBUCHA
A classic Moroccan salad which featured almost on every meal I had when I was kid. The name of this dish comes from the Arabic for ‘cooked’. The quality of the tomatoes is so important here, as they are the real stars of the show. Cook matbutcha slowly – it really needs plenty of time for the flavours to develop. Served simply with bread, it’s delicious as a mezze or starter, but you could also use it in sandwiches, maybe paired with hummus or some feta. It makes a great base for shakshuka as well. It’s really versatile.
Serves 4–6 as a starter (appetiser)
5 large, ripe tomatoes
70 ml (2⅓ fl oz/⅓ cup) vegetable oil
55 g (2 oz) green mild Turkish chilli (Sivri), cut into 5 mm (¼ in)-thick slices
20 g (¾ oz) (about 1–2 chillies)
mild Dutch red chillies, cut into 5 mm (¼ in)-thick slices
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
¾ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon sugar
Score the tomatoes with an ‘X’ using a sharp knife, and trim the green parts from their tops. Prepare a bowl of iced water. Bring a pan of water to the boil, then add the tomatoes and submerge them for about 30 seconds until the skin starts to peel away. Transfer the tomatoes to the iced water and remove their skin.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat for 1 minute, then add the chillies and garlic, reduce the heat to medium-low and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid the garlic burning.
Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan of chillies and garlic, followed by the paprika, salt and sugar. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The matbucha is ready when most (but not all) of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Eat at room temperature with a slice of challah, or anything you want really.
MARINDA TOMATOES, KALAMATA OLIVES AND PINE NUTS
Marinda tomatoes are the best for this simple salad. A winter tomato with a firm skin, Marindas can feel quite tough to the touch and can look unripe, but when you slice them open, they are so sweet. I actually find winter tomatoes more delicious than summer tomatoes: for me, they pack in more flavour and sugar. If you can’t get Marinda tomatoes, a Spanish Raf tomato would also be great. The important thing is that you want a good-quality tomato with texture and sweetness, nothing soggy or soft. Very few other ingredients are needed to make the salad sing.
Serves 4
6 Marinda tomatoes
12 Kalamata olives (not pitted)
½ red onion, thinly sliced
50 g (1¾ oz) coriander (cilantro), leaves picked and roughly chopped
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
25 g (1 oz) toasted pine nuts
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slice the tomatoes crossway into 1.5 cm (½ in) slices and place in a large mixing bowl. Remove the stones from the olives, leaving the olives in large pieces, and add to the bowl. Add the coriander to the bowl. Add the olive oil and pine nuts, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently. The salad should be eaten straight away.
GRILLED SQUID WITH CHOPPED TOMATOES, CHILLI AND CORIANDER
Squid is one of my favourite kinds of seafood to eat and it needs very little intervention to be delicious. Here, the fresh chopped tomatoes complement the robust seafood flavours that are already present: two simple ingredients that combine to make something special with minimal effort.
Serves 4
4 medium fresh squid, (about 100 g/3½ oz)
For the tomato salad
2 plum tomatoes, cut into 5 mm (¾ in) dice
2 mild red chillies, deseeded and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ bunch of coriander (cilantro) leaves and some of the stalks, chopped
olive oil, for drizzling and brushing
juice of ½ lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Clean the squid, removing the intestines, cutting off the tentacles and removing the rest of the head.
Rinse the squid with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the tubes in half lengthwise on one side to open the squid up and remove any membrane by scraping with a spoon. Using a small, sharp knife, score in a crosshatch on the inside part of the tube, being careful to avoid cutting through to the other side.
Preheat a grill or griddle pan to high.
In the meantime, prepare the tomato salad. Combine the tomatoes, chillies, garlic and coriander in a bowl. Set aside and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper, just before serving.
Lightly brush the squid and its tentacles with olive oil and grill for 1 minute on each side. Season with salt. Remove from the grill, transfer to plates and dress with the tomato salad.
WILD SEA BASS CRUDO WITH SHEEP’S YOGHURT AND TOMATOES
This is a very simple recipe, but it’s important to follow the method precisely for the best results. Grating tomatoes sounds simple enough, but it has a huge impact – you effectively extract the flavour of the tomato while straining off all the excess liquid. You are left with a flavour that’s deeply concentrated but still very fresh. It’s a great way to use tomatoes, and can be used in a variety of dishes (try serving grated tomatoes simply over pasta). As ever, the quality of the tomatoes is key. You could use another fish here, but go for a round fish rather than a flat one – something like sea bream or red snapper. You want your fish to be super fresh, and wild rather than farmed. Ask your fishmonger for the best fish that have been caught that day – this is always important when you’re making a raw fish dish.
Serves 4
2 large ripe tomatoes, washed
200 g (7 oz) wild sea bass fillet (or any other firm white fish)
50 g (1¾ oz) sheep’s yoghurt or Greek yoghurt
olive oil, for drizzling
juice of ½ lemon, plus extra to serve
sea salt flakes
Grate the tomatoes into a bowl on the coarse side of a cheese grater, discarding the skin. Transfer to a fine sieve and let the water drain until completely dry. Season with salt.
Cut the fish into 2 mm (1/16 in)-thick slices and arrange on platter or individual plates. Generously add dollops of the grated tomatoes and yoghurt between the fish slices. Drizzle olive oil around and on the fish, followed by some lemon juice, and season the fish carefully with sea salt. Enjoy immediately with an extra wedge of lemon to serve.
