Chef Yotam Ottolenghi's Tips for a Better Lunch
Some people have Gwyneth, others Martha, many Oprah. We have Yotam. The Jerusalem-born, London-based chef—Yotam Ottolenghi to the uninitiated—is a man who managed to make eggplant hot and za’atar cool. And so, in conjunction with this month’s Lunch Al Desko feature, we asked our cult leader—who also happens to have a good deal of experience in takeaway lunch at his Ottolenghi restaurants—for some advice. Herewith, four tips on how to have a better workday lunch, from the man himself:
Make Butternut Squash Look Like a Zebra
“Always blanch and then char-grill vegetables rather than boil them. Freshness and vibrancy of color is retained this way. Is there anything which looks better on the plate than a bright orange slice of butternut squash pretending to be a zebra?”
“Always blanch and then char-grill vegetables rather than boil them. Freshness and vibrancy of color is retained this way. Is there anything which looks better on the plate than a bright orange slice of butternut squash pretending to be a zebra?”
Use the Whole Lemon
“Lemon wins first prize: fresh lemon juice, chopped preserved lemon skin, thin slices of fresh lemon roasted in the oven, grated zest, candied lemon peel—they are all great ways of bringing strong and fresh flavors into a dish. Another favorite way with lemons is to boil a whole one down in a little bit of water and then blitz it up to use as the base for a punchy dressing, marinade, or sauce in, say, a lemon aïoli. This boil-and-blitz method also works well with an orange.”
“Lemon wins first prize: fresh lemon juice, chopped preserved lemon skin, thin slices of fresh lemon roasted in the oven, grated zest, candied lemon peel—they are all great ways of bringing strong and fresh flavors into a dish. Another favorite way with lemons is to boil a whole one down in a little bit of water and then blitz it up to use as the base for a punchy dressing, marinade, or sauce in, say, a lemon aïoli. This boil-and-blitz method also works well with an orange.”
Hot Food Is Overrated
“Choose to eat something at room temperature rather than hot; heat can often mask the many flavors in a dish. Many grain-based salads are best dressed in advance so that all the flavors can really sink in. A lot of grilled and roasted dishes that people don’t think to eat at room temperature work well—if not better—having been set aside to cool for a few hours: char-grilled Brussels sprouts with caramelized garlic and candied lemon peel or pistachio-crusted seared tuna with a fresh papaya and mango salsa, for example.”
“Choose to eat something at room temperature rather than hot; heat can often mask the many flavors in a dish. Many grain-based salads are best dressed in advance so that all the flavors can really sink in. A lot of grilled and roasted dishes that people don’t think to eat at room temperature work well—if not better—having been set aside to cool for a few hours: char-grilled Brussels sprouts with caramelized garlic and candied lemon peel or pistachio-crusted seared tuna with a fresh papaya and mango salsa, for example.”
Handle Herbs With Care
“Some herbs should only really be chopped at the last minute. Many are fine (dill, chives, parsley, coriander), but others (mint and basil, most obviously) blacken quickly when sliced. If preparing dishes in advance using these herbs, it’s best to pick their leaves and add them whole rather than to slice them. Or blitz them completely with some olive oil and seasoning, then spoon the herb paste over a dish. Swirling this sort of paste through (or drizzling it as well as) some plain Greek yogurt works well over a lot of roasted or grilled dishes.”
“Some herbs should only really be chopped at the last minute. Many are fine (dill, chives, parsley, coriander), but others (mint and basil, most obviously) blacken quickly when sliced. If preparing dishes in advance using these herbs, it’s best to pick their leaves and add them whole rather than to slice them. Or blitz them completely with some olive oil and seasoning, then spoon the herb paste over a dish. Swirling this sort of paste through (or drizzling it as well as) some plain Greek yogurt works well over a lot of roasted or grilled dishes.”
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