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Which foodie souvenir do you always take home?
When I travel, I like to discover local ingredients. I brought sardines and anchovies from Portugal, Italy and North Africa, as well as cheese. Recently I came back from Japan with a furikake-like sprinkles made with chili, sesame, and brown sugar that I spread on everything. I’m almost gone, so I have to get back to Kyoto! [For similar, try Clearspring Organic Furikake]
Chef and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi
Condiment that improves every meal?
A fermented chili sauce. I love the combination of something fresh and pickled with the heat of chilli as it brings out all the other flavours. I spread it on everything from egg salad to fried chicken. Aside from desserts, I honestly can’t think of much that wouldn’t benefit from a good chili sauce.
Restaurant you would like to return to?
One of my most memorable meals was at Restaurante Sa Foradada in Mallorca, perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. They serve paella and seafood and you just eat what they have that day. What makes it so special is the setting: you can see dramatic rocks rising from the sea, go down and swim before climbing back up for lunch.
How do you make really good hummus?
The chickpeas should be extremely soft. If you cook them yourself, really overcook them until they fall apart. Then you need good tahini and plenty of cold water or ice. This allows you to blend the hummus longer, making it very light and creamy.
Go-to vegetable?
Cauliflower. I don’t think people realize how versatile it is. I roast it, make cauliflower fritters and grate it raw into a tabouleh-like salad. My favorite way is to roast the florets in olive oil, salt and pepper until they have lots of color, for example with cumin, turmeric or cinnamon, and then sprinkle with green tahini made with parsley.
Salvino in Kentish Town is the place for truffle salami
Favorite canned fish?
There is a Portuguese brand called Nuri that makes sardines in olive oil (see right); They are delicious on toast with mayonnaise and chopped spring onion, but I also make a lot of pasta with them. I cook the garlic and capers in olive oil and then add the sardines with parsley at the very end so they break into flakes instead of turning into a paste.
Best Sunday roast?
I recently discovered The Running Horses, a pub in Mickleham, near Dorking. I went with my children and a friend after a walk around Box Hill, and we had a Sunday lunch that combined traditional pub food with modern touches. They made incredible Scotch eggs and delicious roast chicken.
Sparkpluggiest thing in your store cupboard?
Probably truffle salami. I buy it from the Italian deli in Kentish Town called Salvino; they also make very good rosemary flavored ham. I also have a lot of good olive oil. I’ve been a fan of Citizens of the soil because they work with small, independent farmers around the Mediterranean and take great care of the oils they purchase.
The secret to a perfect sandwich?
I use sourdough because it is firm, then start with butter, mayonnaise and a little mustard for moisture. I grate two types of cheese—maybe a sharp French or Swiss cheese like Comté, plus cheddar for stretch—and then add ham and something acidic, like sauerkraut. I cook it slowly in a pan, turning it constantly, with the lid on to steam it and get everything hot. Then I remove the lid and keep turning until it is crispy on both sides.
Yotam likes the roast at The Running Horses near Dorking
Chocolate you can’t resist?
I am obsessed with chocolate and eat it every day, although I have to hide it from my kids because they don’t appreciate the good stuff! Right now I’m loving chocolates from Plaq in Paris, especially the pistachio and black sesame flavors. For everyday use, I love Willie’s Cacao, especially the Rio Caribe gold (£3.45, williescacao.com).
Ottolenghi Also simple by Yotam Ottolenghi and Verena Lochmuller is published by Ebury Press, £30. To order a copy for £25.50 with free delivery until September 20, visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
Jonathan Lovekin, Getty Images
