We know that an Ottolenghi recipe is synonymous with bold flavours full of depth, contrasts, and inventive twists. Now, with the latest Ottolenghi book, comfort food is getting the signature Ottolenghi treatment.
Authored by Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller, Tara Wigley, and Yotam Ottolenghi himself, Ottolenghi COMFORT offers an elevated take on hearty home-cooked meals. With over 100 tantalising recipes spanning soups, traybakes, fritters, bread, stews, pasta, desserts and more, this cookbook is a love letter to comfort food in all its forms. COMFORT is also deeply personal, its authors drawing from their respective heritages and the recipes that have shaped their love of food.
To give you a sense of what you’ll find inside, we’ve rounded up 10 recipes – one from each chapter – that we can’t wait to try.
Eggs, crêpes, pancakes
Dutch Baby with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
Crispy yet light and fluffy, this savoury take on a classic pancake is perfect for using up the vestiges of tomato season.
Like the look of this recipe? You’ll also like Polenta Pancakes with Spiced Corn Salad, Aubergine Omelette, and Crêpes with Sesame and Hazelnut Chocolate Praline Spread from the same chapter in Ottolenghi COMFORT.
Soups, dips, spreads
Cheesy Bread Soup with Savoy Cabbage
Taking inspiration from the rich cheese-and-toast topping of a French onion soup, this hearty, savoury soup is the perfect dish to round off the day when the weather starts to turn chilly.
Fritters and other fried things
Spiced Chicken Sando with Harissa Mayonnaise
A classic ‘katsu sando’ with a North African twist, this sandwich layers succulent marinated fried chicken and a perfectly spiced mayo between thick slices of soft white bread.
Comfort veg
Butter-Braised Kohlrabi with Olive Chimichurri
This versatile recipe turns kohlrabi (or any root vegetable of your choice) buttery soft and melt-in-the-mouth tender, and pairs it with a crème fraîche base and punchy topping of chimichurri with a briny olive twist.
Keen to get a read on more of the veg-forward recipes you can expect from Ottolenghi COMFORT? Standout recipes include Cauliflower and Butternut Pakoras, Slow-roasted Celeriac with Gorgonzola Cream and Roasted Beets with Tarragon and Walnut Tarator.
Roast chicken and other traybakes
Roast Chicken with Curry Leaf Dukkah
Infused with a rich and nutty butter, this recipe is ideal for when you want bring new flavours to the comfort food classic that is roast chicken.
If a hearty chicken dish is your go-to comfort food, you’ll be pleased to hear Ottolenghi COMFORT is packed with inspiration. Highlights include Roast Chicken with Auntie Pauline’s Marinade, White-poached Chicken with Chinese Cabbage and Peanut Rayu, and Summer Chicken Cacciatore with Herb Salsa.
Dals, stews, curries
Braised Lamb with Butter Beans and Yoghurt
Ideal for autumnal batch cooking, this slow-cooked lamb stew is the ultimate companion to a hunk of crusty bread.
Noodles, rice, tofu
Nasi Goreng with Prawns and Green Beans
Few dishes are more comforting than a bowl of rice topped with a fried egg. The Southeast Asian staple of nasi goreng, packed with warming, umami and aromatic flavours, is no exception.
Pasta, polenta, potatoes
Caramelised Onion Orecchiette with Hazelnuts and Crispy Sage
Ideal for a quick yet hearty midweek dinner, this vegan pasta dish uses minimal ingredients to create rich, complex flavours.
Nothing says comfort food quite like a warming bowl of pasta. In Ottolenghi COMFORT, you’ll find a whole chapter dedicated to pasta of all persuasions, including Pesto Pasta with Charred Beans and Potatoes, Courgette and Fennel Lasagne and Linguine with Miso Butter, Shiitake and Spinach.
Pies, pastry, bread
Leek, Cheese and Za’atar Rugelach
Rugelach is traditionally a sweet pastry, but this version comprises four different cheeses to create a moreish savoury filling.
Sweet things
Apple, Blackberry and Ginger Crumble Cake
Warming, rustic, and easy to make, this cake can easily be adapted to include delicious seasonal fruit combinations.
If cakes, bakes and desserts are your favourite form of comfort food, the chapter in Ottolenghi COMFORT for you is entitled “Sweet things”. From Baked Custard Affogato to Chocolate Mousse with Orange Caramel, Dutch Apple Cake, and Brownie Cookies with Tahini Cream and Halva, it’s a treasure trove of delicious treats.
