The day before
5 mins

Make the brioche dough (this will make 2 loaves)

First make a poolish: Mix 100g all purpose flour, 100g water, and 1½ grams active dry yeast in a bowl. Let stand for 3 to 4 hours at room temp.

Place 1 tbsp mature sourdough starter in a bowl. Mix with 120g all-purpose flour and 120g water and let sit.

When they both pass the float test, get ready to mix the dough. Remove 225g unsalted butter from the fridge and let soften at room temp until it is pliable but still cool. Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer. Place 500g of flour, 12½g salt, 60g sugar, and 5g active dry yeast in a mixing bowl. Add 250g eggs, 120g milk, 150g leaven, and 200g poolish and mix on a low speed until combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer halfway through and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cut the butter into ½-inch pieces. With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter pieces one at a time to the middle of the bowl where the dough hook meets the dough. Continue until the butter is incorporated. The dough will be silky smooth and homogenous with no visible bits of butter.

Transfer the dough to a bowl and set in a cool place for 2 hours. During the first hour, give the dough two turns: Reach into the side, pull the dough up and pull it over itself, folding it over the top. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this another 2 times. During the second hour, give the dough one turn.

Transfer to a freezer-proof container and freeze for 3-5 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator overnight.

Mise en place
1 hour

Never doubt that Ottolenghi loves you. For the low low price of a mandoline, you can have your mise en place on lock. There is more slicing than dicing in this meal plan.

Break down the chicken
If you’ve never broken down a chicken, this is going to be fun. Find a video or some instruction on Youtube that shows you how to break it down so that you have 2 supremes, 2 legs, and a nice clean carcass. I just watched this video and it’s the one I’ll use.

For the celery root puree: Coarsely dice 55g onion. Coarsely chop 1 clove garlic. Peel and cut 200g celery root into 2 cm pieces. Note: You might want to make extra puree for the freezer so as not to have leftover celery root. This won’t take any more effort or time, so it’s a good move. I would recommend weighing out the celeriac first, and then adjusting the weights of the other ingredients accordingly.

For the lavender oil: Crush ½ a garlic clove. Place in a bowl with 1 ½ tsp clear runny honey, ¾ tsp lavender, and ¾ tsp salt.

Just for the halibut: Lightly toast and coarsely chop 20g pine nuts and 20g shelled pistachios.

For the vichyssoise: Coarsely chop 33g shallots, crush 1 clove garlic, thinly slice 67g leeks (white and green parts), peel and roughly chop 125g potatoes.

For the chicken pastilla: Thinly slice 125g onions. thinly slice 6 cloves garlic. Cut 2 large plum tomatoes lengthwise into 8 long wedges (175g).

For the rutabaga gratin: Peel and dice 500g rutabaga. Thinly slice 160g Savoy cabbage.

For the pea soup: Coarsely chop 1 shallot, coarsely chop one small garlic clove. Trim and slice 1 leek (green and white parts) to make 85g. Peel and dice 140g potatoes.

Start cooking
3.5 hours

Bake the brioche

Start the chicken stock
You have two options here: you can either roast the carcass and the wing tips until they’re golden brown, then cover them with water in a big pot and simmer for a couple of hours. Or, you can put the bones directly in water and simmer. This is just going to yield different stocks. The former will be richer and browner. The latter will be clearer and more like a pale yellow stock.

Start the vegetable stock
Again, you can choose to roast your veggies until brown for a richer stock, or you can just cover them with cold water and add herbs, some kombu, peppercorns, or whatever else you would like to flavour with. Simmer over heat for 1-2 hours.

Roast some garlic
Preheat the oven to 475˚F/220˚C (390˚F/200˚C convection). Slice off and discard the top quarter of 2 heads of garlic so that the cloves are exposed and place on an square of foil, cut side up. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, wrap in a tight bundle, and roast for 35 minutes, until the garlic is soft and caramelized.

Make the lavender oil
In a small skillet, toast 1 tbsp coriander seeds. Set aside and wipe out the skillet. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into the skillet with the honey, lavender, garlic, and salt. Bring to a simmer over-low heat and remove immediately. Stir well and set aside until completely cool, then add the coriander seeds.

Make the nut crust for the halibut
Place 50g unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 4 minutes, until the butter is nutty smelling and golden brown. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any black bits. Add the pistachios, pine nuts, a pinch of sugar and 2 tsp lemon juice. Mix well and then spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet about the size of both your pieces of fish laid out next to each other.

Make the star anise sugar
Blitz 2 star anise in a spice grinder into a fine powder. Mix with 70g superfine sugar. Store in a cool dry place.

Make the chocolate soil
Place 13g flour, ¼ tsp cornstarch, 20g sugar, and 15g cocoa powder in a bowl, along with ¼ tsp salt. Mix together, then slowly pour in 20g unsalted butter, melted. Use a wooden spoon, then the tips of your fingers, to mix until a crumble-like texture is formed, then spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the consistency is that of a crumbly cookie. Remove from the oven—the mixture will be firm but moist but will firm up as it cools. Be careful not to overcook as it will be bitter. Store as you would cookies until you’re ready to use.

Make the fritter dough
Sift 20g icing sugar, 50g flour, and ¼ tsp baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add 250g ricotta, zest from 1 orange, the vanilla seeds from one bean, and ½ tsp salt and use a wooden spoon to mix and combine. Place 1 egg and another half an egg yolk in a separate bowl and whisk together well, until pale and tripled in volume —about 3 minutes using an electric mixer. Fold this into the ricotta mixture to combine. This will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Strain the vegetable stock
When the vegetable stock tastes more like vegetables and less like water, strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth.

Make the celery root puree
Place 20ml olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often until soft and beginning to caramelize. Add the garlic and 1 small bay leaf. Cook for a minute before adding the celery root. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes until all sides are golden brown. Pour over 165ml vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the celery root is cooked through. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves, and transfer to a blender or food processor. Blitz to form a smooth puree before adding 2 tsp tahini, 2 tsp lemon juice, a pinch of cumin, a pinch of coriander, ½ tsp salt and a grind of black pepper. Cool and store in the fridge.

Get the soup going
Put the 2 tsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft and transparent. Add the leek, cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, then add the potatoes. Mix well and cook 5 minutes before pouring in 500ml vegetable stock. Increase the heat until the liquid comes to a boil, then return the heat to medium and simmer for 12 minutes, until the potatoes are soft but hold their shape. Add 50g fresh or frozen peas, return to a boil, and continue to simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp white pepper, then use a jar or immersion blender to blitz until completely smooth. Strain in batches by pressing through a fine-mesh sieve: you want the texture to be completely smooth. Discard the paste that won’t pass through and set the soup aside.

Make the blackberry sauce
Place 20g sugar in a small saucepan with 1 tbsp water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to help the sugar dissolve, then set aside for the sugar syrup to cool. Place 250g blackberries in a blender and blitz to form a puree. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and into a bowl to strain out the seeds. Pour over the sugar syrup. Mix to combine and store in the fridge.

Make the saffron syrup
Put 250g sugar in a small saucepan with 250ml of water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Add ½ tsp saffron and continue to simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool before transferring into a mason jar or another sealed jar. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Strain the chicken stock
When the chicken stock smells amazing and tastes chicken-y, strain it through a mesh sieve lined in cheesecloth.

Make the vichyssoise
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil and add 35g parsley stems and leaves and 50g wild arugula. Blanch for 30 seconds and then refresh under cold water. Strain, squeeze out the excess water, set aside to dry, then coarsely chop.

Place 14g unsalted butter and 1 tsp olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and leek and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until shiny and glossy. Pour over 330g chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked but still retaining a bite. Add the parsley and arugula and cook for a final minute, then remove from the heat and add 10g spinach leaves along with ½ tsp salt and a good grind of pepper. Transfer to a blender and blitz until completely smooth. Refrigerate.

Start the rutabaga gratin
Melt 50g butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the rutabaga, along with ¼ tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered for about an hour, spooning the butter over the rutabaga from time to time and turning it once or twice until the rutabaga is completely soft and caramelized.

Make the pastilla filling
Season the chicken legs and thighs with ¾ tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper. Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a large saute pan and place over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sear for 7 to 8 minutes, turning once halfway through, until deep golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

Keep the pan on the heat and add the onions and garlic. Cook on medium high heat for 15 to 18 minutes, until the onions are soft, dark, and caramelized like jam. Keep a close eye on it toward the end and stir constantly to make sure it does not catch on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, 2 cinnamon sticks, ½ tsp pink peppercorns, 1 whole dried chipotle chile (or ½ an urfa chili and one red chili), along with ¼ tsp salt. Continue to cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, then slowly pour over 30ml brandy. Cook for a further 2 minutes, then return the chicken pieces to the pan. Pour over 165ml white wine and 165ml chicken stock, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for an hour.

Make the brioche pudding
Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins, along with the oil. Use the back of a fork to crush them to a fine paste. Place 4 eggs in a medium bowl and whisk. Add 300ml cream, ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, and 15g finely chopped tarragon, along with 1 tsp salt and a grind of black pepper. Whisk well and set aside.

Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter and line it with parchment paper. Brush a bit more butter on top of the parchment once it’s inside the pan, then layer the bottom with a long slice of brioche. Spread half the garlic puree on top and pour over a third of the cream mixture. Lay another slice of the brioche on top and push this down so that it gets soaked into the liquid. Spread the remaining garlic puree on top, pour over another third of the cream mixture on top with the last slice of brioche. Finish with the remainder of the cream mixture and lightly press down the brioche so that it is fully submerged. Set aside for 30 minutes to to let all the liquid set in.

Preheat the oven to 425˚F/220˚C (390˚F/200˚C convection)

Back to the chicken sauce
Remove the chicken pieces, increase the heat, and let the sauce bubble for 30 to 35 minutes, until it has reduced by a quarter and has the consistency of caramel.

Finish the rutabaga gratin
Meanwhile, Remove the rutabaga from the pan, drain away any excess butter, and set aside. Return the pan to medium heat with 20g of butter. Stir in the cabbage, along with ¼ tsp salt and some ground black pepper, then pour over 75ml veggie stock. Cook for 10 minutes until the cabbage is soft, and there about 3 tbsp stock left in the pan. Drain in a colander and set aside. Spread the cabbage out over the bottom of an ovenproof dish measuring about 8 by 10 inches or individual ramekins. Sprinkle over 30g Caerphilly cheese, roughly crumbled, and spread the rutabaga over top. Pour over 150ml heavy cream and then sprinkle another 30g Caerphilly on top. Cover and store it in the refrigerator.

Finish the chicken filling for the pastilla
Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and chiles, add 20g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. You should have about 250ml or 1 cup of liquid in the pan. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, use your hands to pick all the meat off the bones. Discard the skin. Return the meat to the sauce, stir gently. Cool and store.

Bake the brioche pudding
Put the pudding in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until it is cooked through and the brioche is brown on top. Check that it is ready by inserting a knife through the middle. It should come out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan, with the paper still attached. Transfer to a baking rack to cool. Wrap in parchment and store in the fridge.

Make the Catalan spinach
Pour 33ml sherry vinegar and 33ml brandy into a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Warm through for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in 33g currants and set aside to cool. Toast 50g pine nuts. Mix the pine nuts with 1⁄3 tsp olive oil and 1⁄3 tsp smoked paprika and set aside. Pour ½ tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and place over a medium-low heat. Add 1 small shallot, thinly sliced. Cook for about 8 minutes until soft and lightly coloured. Add 1 clove of thinly sliced garlic along with a pinch of salt and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the currant and brandy mixture along with the pine nuts and cook for 2 more minutes. Pour in 65ml heavy cream, increase the heat and cook for 3 minutes to reduce the sauce by a quarter. Stir in 100g baby spinach leaves and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, uncovered until the leaves wilt and the liquid reduces. Cool and store in the fridge.

Make the pea soup
Put 2 tsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 40g chopped shallots and 1 clove coarsely chopped garlic and sauté until soft and translucent. Add 80g sliced leek, cook for 2-3 minutes, then add 135g diced potatoes. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes and then add 350ml vegetable stock. Increase heat until the liquid comes to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 12 minutes. Add 165g fresh or frozen peas and simmer for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add salt and white pepper to taste, then use a jar or immersion blender to blitz until completely smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the paste that won’t pass through.

Lunches

Celery Root Purée with Spiced Cauliflower and Quail Eggs

Put 1 tbsp olive oil into a large sauté pan and place over medium heat. Add 55g thinly sliced onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until soft. Add 1 clove of thinly sliced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, then add ⅔ tsp ras al hanout and cook for another minute. Pour over 2 tbsp water and stir for a minute before removing from the heat. Fold in the 220g trimmed, coarsely grated cauliflower, 2 tsp diced preserved lemon, 30g skin on, toasted and coarsely chopped almonds, 8g chopped parsley, and 1⁄3 tsp of salt and set aside to cool.

When you’re ready to serve, warm some of the celery root purée you already made and divide between two plates. Drizzle 1/2 tsp olive oil over each portion. Spread the cauliflower over top, and sprinkle with a pinch of smoked sweet paprika and another 8g chopped parsley.

To fry the quail eggs, place a large frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. When hot, crack 4 quail eggs individually into the pan and fry for 30 to 60 seconds. Season each egg with a pinch of salt and grind of black pepper, then place an egg or two on top of each portion of cauliflower and serve at once.

Burrata with Blood Orange, Coriander Seeds, and Lavender Oil

Use a small, sharp, serrated knife to trim the tops and tails off one blood orange. Cut down the sides of the orange, following its natural curve, to remove the skin and white pith. Slice into 1cm thick rounds and remove the seeds.

Divide the orange slices among two plates, slightly overlapping, and place a burrata ball alongside. Spoon the coriander seeds and lavender oil over the cheese and orange slices, top with some micro basil, and serve with some buttered, grilled brioche, baguette, or sourdough.

Pea soup with Rolled goat Cheese Croutons

Place 40g soft rindless goat cheese in a small bowl and stir to form a smooth paste. Add 1tsp dijon mustard, 1/3 tsp lemon thyme leaves along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.

Use a rolling to flatten out 2 slices of brioche with the crusts cut off. You’re looking to create a rectangle that is 5cm by 14cm by 2mm thick. Spread 2tsp goat cheese over each piece. Starting with the longest side, roll the rectangles into a tight cylinder so that it looks like a cigar.

Mix together 1 egg and 5 tsp whole milk in a wide, shallow bowl and place 20g instant polenta in a separate wide, shallow bowl. Brush each cylinder with the egg wash, then roll it in the polenta. Put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

When you’re ready to eat, put one inch sunflower oil in a frying pan over medium-heat. When hot, add the bread cylinders and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Slice each cylinder in half width-ways on an angle.

Warm the soup and divide among two bowls. Spoon 20g crème fraîche on top of each bowl and sprinkle with 20g shredded young arugula or watercress.

Fondant Rutabaga Gratin

Take the rutabaga gratin out of the fridge to bring it to room temp while you make the breadcrumbs.

Preheat the oven to 425˚F/220˚C (390˚F/200˚C). As you’re preheating the oven. toast a piece of brioche in there until it’s dried out. Pulse the bread in a food processor to make breadcrumbs. Toss the breadcrumbs in a bowl with ¾ tsp thyme leaves, ½ tbsp tarragon leaves, coarsely chopped, and the zest from ¼ lemon.

Bake the gratin for 15 minutes. Scatter the breadcrumb/herb mixture over top and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, switching the oven to broil for the final 2 minutes if the breadcrumbs needs help getting golden.

Chicken Supremes with Roasted Garlic and Tarragon Brioche Pudding

Take the brioche pudding and chicken supremes out of the refrigerator to bring to room temperature.

Make the jus: Place 165ml chicken stock in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for about 12 minutes, until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and whisk in 18g cold unsalted butter, along with a pinch salt. Stir in 60g fresh or frozen peas and 5g tarragon leaves and set aside. Warm up slightly before using.

To cook the chicken, put 1 tbsp oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan and place over high heat. Evenly sprinkle 1 tbsp salt over both sides of all the chicken breasts along with a good grind of black pepper. Once the oil is smoking, lay the breast in the pan skin side down. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown. Add 3g thyme sprigs and 30g unsalted butter to the pan and cook for another minute, basting the chicken with the foaming butter. Transfer to the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the oven, drizzle with 1 tsp lemon juice, and baste with the juices from the pan. Set aside to rest for 1 minute, then slice the breasts on the diagonal, or leave whole.

A few minutes before the chicken is ready, place the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil for the bread pudding in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Trim the ends off the brioche pudding and slices off two 3 ½ cm slices. Add the brioche slices and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once so that both sides are golden brown. Divide the bread pudding among 2 plates and place the chicken breasts on top or alongside. Spoon the warm pea and tarragon jus on top and serve.

Chicken Pastilla

I previously made Mourad Lahlou’s chicken pastilla and it. was. stunning. Also converted me to someone who craves savoury pies.

Preheat the oven to 390˚F/200˚C (360˚F/180˚C convection).

The measurements for this recipe are for a large pie for 12 people. I cut the ingredients by ⅔ to serve 4 people. So now get creative: choose a vessel or multiple vessels for your pies. The recipe calls for a pan 10 inches wide and 3 inches deep. I feel like the depth is non-negotiable so whatever you choose, make sure you can get some layers in there. I’m using a loaf pan to make a smaller version.

Whatever vessel you choose make sure it’s ovenproof. Melt about 50g ghee and get out a pastry brush. Lay out about 10-15 sheets of filo pastry under a lightly damp kitchen towel. Brush the bottom and sides with a generous amount of melted ghee. Brush the first sheet of filo with ghee and line the bottom of the pan with it. Continue with the next sheet, brushing with ghee on each sheet and generously overlapping as you go. You’re going to need to fold the filo back over top of the filling so you might need to offset quite a bit to be able to fold the pastry back over. Continue until you have used about 6 sheets. Work quickly so the sheets don’t dry out.

Spoon the spinach mixture into the pan. Spread the chicken mixture on top, then continue with the last 6 sheets of filo, brushing with ghee and tucking in the edge of the sheets like making a bed with fitted sheets. Draw in the overhanging pastry sheets and seal them on top of the pie with a final brush of melted ghee. Because I used a loaf pan, I used whole sheet s for the bottom layers and half-sheets for the top.

Bake for 1 hour, uncovered. Cover with foil and cook for a final 10 minutes, so that the bottom gets golden brown without the top burning. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes before inverting the pastilla onto a platter. Sift over 1 tbsp icing sugar using a fine meshed sieve, and serve warm as is. You can also make a mesh patter on the pastilla by heating up a metal skewer with a blow torch and then pressing it on the sugar in parallel lines and then repeating at a 90˚ angle. Mourad Lahlou lays a gridded cooling rack over top of the pie before dusting with sugar to get a stencil effect.

Pistachio and Pine Nut-Crusted Halibut with Wild Arugula and Parsley Vichyssoise

Preheat the broiler to its highest settings. Spread out the halibut fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush them with 2 tsp olive oil. Season with ½ tsp of salt in total and a good grind of black pepper and broil for 6 to 7 minutes, until the halibut is almost cooked. Remove the baking sheet from under the broiler and lay a rectangle of the nut butter you made on top of each fillet. Return to the broiler and cook for a final 2 to 3 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the broiler and squeeze over 2 tsp lemon juice. Warm the vichyssoise and ladle it into shallow, wide bowls. Lay a halibut fillet on top, place a radish, sliced in half lengthwise, alongside. Serve right away.