For many home cooks, the best-selling Ottolenghi SIMPLE was a user-friendly entry point into the always fascinating, but sometimes intimidating, world of Ottolenghi. For those not as au fait with advanced cooking techniques as the man himself, SIMPLE delivered classic Ottolenghi flavours, minus the fuss. If you loved SIMPLE, the brand new Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love is destined to become your new favourite cookbook. A collaborative effort from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen team (lead by Noor Murad), Shelf Love was partly inspired by the restrictions and limitations of 2020. While it is emphatically “not a lockdown cookbook”, according to Noor, the lockdown did shape the team’s approach to the recipes and the level of flexibility with which they are presented. There’s an emphasis here on getting creative with your store cupboard, making the most of your freezer, taking your veg box produce to new heights, and adapting recipes to suit your needs and preferences. The book is every bit as approachable and accessible as SIMPLE, and is destined to become just as popular. We’ve put together a list of ten dishes from Shelf Love that are guaranteed to get the attention of SIMPLE fans, from a berbere spiced chicken tray bake to a Middle Eastern twist on mac ‘n’ cheese.
From the book
Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love
A collaborative effort from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen team
Designed to help you make the most of your pantry, fridge, and freezer
With recipes ranging from one-pot feasts to sumptuous bakes
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Berbere Spiced Chicken, Carrots and Chickpeas
Made with berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend, this all-in-one recipe packs a fiery punch. A refreshing orange and coriander salsa serves to balance and enhance the spicy flavours of the dish.
5-a-day Toad-in-the-hole
In this vegetarian spin on toad-in-the-hole, earthy root vegetables are pillowed in a puffy, golden batter and drizzled with homemade mushroom gravy.
Spicy Pulled Pork Vindaloo
Spicy, melt-in-the-mouth strands of pork served up in soft rolls; a truly crowd-pleasing feast. The OTK team recommend serving this with a zingy lime and poppyseed slaw.
Confit Tandoori Chickpeas
This super-easy chickpea dish has had its share of Instagram fame, thanks to its simplicity, flavour, and, let’s face it, dashing good looks.
Sticky Sweet and Sour Plums and Sausages
A novel way to celebrate plum season, this dish pairs the sticky-sweet fruits with pomegranate molasses, sumac, and pork sausages. It’s got autumn written all over it.
Skillet Berries, Bread, and Browned Butter
Put those frozen berries languishing at the back of your freezer to good use in this cosy dessert recipe, packed with oats, browned butter, and toasted sourdough. Star anise and vanilla make these humble ingredients sing.
M.E. Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Za’atar Pesto
A Middle Eastern twist on a comfort food classic, this indulgent mac ‘n’ cheese is topped with crispy fried onions and aromatic za’atar pesto.
Very Giant Giant Couscous Cake
This crisp, savoury cake recipe can be adapted to use up whatever grains, cheeses, and greens you happen to have lying around. An excellent addition to your zero-waste recipe arsenal.
One-pan Crispy Chicken and Spaghetti
In this thoroughly unconventional but totally addictive recipe, chicken thigh pieces and spaghetti are cooked in the same pan. The dish is topped with cheesy breadcrumbs for added crunch.
Kale Pesto Strata with Gruyère and Mustard
For a truly luxurious brunch dish, you can’t do much better than this savoury bread pudding, flavoured with Gruyère and mustard.
