By Allison Mitchell By Allison Mitchell | September 30, 2024 | Food & Drink, People, Lifestyle, Feature, Eat, Drink, Features, Celebrity, Featured, Food & Drink Feature, Lifestyle Feature, Food & Drink, Entertainment, Community, People Feature, Interviews, Apple News, City Life, Food and Drink Feature, Food & Drink News Latest,
Famed chef Yotam Ottolenghi is heading to Irvine Barclay Theatre this October to celebrate his latest cookbook, Ottolenghi Comfort.
PHOTO BY ELENA HEATHERWICK
As he prepares to release his 12th cookbook, Ottolenghi Comfort, celebrated chef and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi is stopping by Irvine Barclay Theatre on Oct. 13 for a cooking demo and moderated conversation with James Beard Award winner Nancy Silverton. Here, chef Ottolenghi shares the recipe for his butter beans with roasted cherry tomatoes from his new book, out Oct. 8.
A look at the chef’s latest cookbook, Ottolenghi Comfort, out Oct. 8; PHOTO BY NATHAN LOVEKIN
“Source the larger butter beans (lima beans) for this if you can,” advises chef Yotam Ottolenghi. “They’re softer, more buttery and much creamier than the smaller ones. This dish works well as part of a mezze spread, or can be eaten as is with something like crumbled feta or olives on top.” PHOTO BY NATHAN LOVEKIN
“This recipe comes from a restaurant called Bar Rochford in Canberra, Australia, where it’s served with fresh green beans. Once made, the beans keep for up to three days in the fridge or one week in a sealed jar. Just bring them back to room temperature before serving.” –CHEF YOTAM OTTOLENGHI
Serves 4
1 lb. 2 oz. cherry tomatoes
5 Tbsp., plus 2 tsp., olive oil
One onion, finely diced (1 cup)
Two garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. thyme leaves, roughly chopped, plus a
few whole thyme leaves to garnish
1 tsp. fennel seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
One fresh bay leaf
⅓ cup dry white wine
2 tsp. smoked paprika
One 25 oz. jar of good quality butter (lima)
beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
Thick slices of sourdough (or any crusty) bread, toasted (optional)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Toss the tomatoes with 2 teaspoons of the oil and spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes until the skins have loosened and the tomatoes are soft and have shrunk a little. Remove from the oven and transfer the tomatoes, along with all their juices, to a shallow bowl to cool.
Re-line the baking sheet with a fresh sheet of parchment paper and decrease the oven temperature to 250 degrees.
Once cool enough to handle, pinch the skins off the tomatoes and place the skins on the lined baking sheet. Return the sheet to the oven for about 45 minutes, until the skins are dry and crisp, giving them a good stir a couple of times during baking. Set the skinless tomatoes aside.
Put the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil into a medium saucepan and place on medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, fennel seeds and bay leaf and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the onion has softened but has not taken on too much color. Add the wine, simmer for 2 minutes to reduce, then add the paprika. Cook for 1 minute, then add the reserved tomato flesh, along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring often so that the tomatoes break down. Add the beans and a good grind of pepper and stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes, just to warm through, then remove from the heat. Spread the yogurt over a serving plate and then pile the beans on top. Crumble the dried tomato skins over the top, finish with a sprinkling of thyme leaves, and serve with the toasted sourdough (if you like).
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