10 Ottolenghi recipes perfect for Australian springtime (2024)

Vignole with orzo and lemon

Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 2 as an entree

1 lemon
100ml olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
4 spring onions, each cut into four on the diagonal
100g snow peas
100g sugar snap peas, fibrous threads removed
230g thick-stemmed green asparagus, woody ends removed, spears cut into three pieces
120g orzo
Salt and black pepper
150g fresh or defrosted frozen peas
150g blanched fresh or defrosted frozen broad beans, skins removed
1 tbsp mint leaves, roughly torn (do this at the last minute, otherwise they will discolour)

Thinly shave three long, wide strips of skin off the lemon (avoiding the bitter white pith), then grate the rest of the skin to give you a teaspoon and a half of grated zest. Squeeze the juice to give you a tablespoon.

Heat the oil on a medium flame in a medium saute pan for which you have a lid and, once hot but not bubbling, add the garlic and spring onions. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cook gently until the garlic just starts to take on a little colour – about five minutes.

Add the snow peas, sugar snaps, asparagus, lemon strips, orzo, 400ml water, a teaspoon and a quarter of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Raise the heat to medium, bring to a simmer, then cover and leave to cook for 10 minutes, until al dente.

Stir in the peas and broad beans, and cook, uncovered, for another two minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Garnish with the mint and serve.

Lightly pickled spring veg with wasabi and ginger cream

This dish is beautifully colourful. It’s important not to overcook the vegetables, or to pickle them for too long, or they will discolour. You want them all roughly the same size, so they take the same amount of time to cook: if the asparagus is very thick, cut it lengthways down the middle; if the carrots are tiny, leave them whole. If you’re lucky enough to get carrots and radishes with their leaves attached, just trim the stalks to 2cm long: that will give the dish a lovely rustic look. Serves six.

300g asparagus, woody ends trimmed and discarded
2 small zucchinis, cut lengthways into 4- to 5mm-thick slices
1 small fennel bulb, cut lengthways into 2mm-thick slices (reserve any fronds)
100g baby carrots, trimmed and cut in half lengthways (or left whole if very small)
100g red and purple radishes (cut in half if large)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp white-wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
10g tarragon leaves
60g fresh peas (or frozen and defrosted)
5g pea shoots (or watercress)
1 tsp urfa chilli flakes (or half that amount of regular chilli flakes)

For the ginger and mustard cream
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
150g mascarpone
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp wasabi paste
Heat the oven to its highest setting (250C). Put the asparagus, zucchini, fennel, carrots and radishes in a large bowl with the oil, garlic, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix well, then arrange on two large oven trays lined with baking paper, making sure the trays aren’t overcrowded. Roast for eight to 12 minutes, until starting to brown and just cooked (the vegetables should still be crunchy) then transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar and sugar with a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the liquid over the roast veg and add the tarragon. Toss to combine and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

For the ginger and wasabi cream, finely grate the ginger into a bowl, then squeeze the flesh through a fine sieve, collecting all the juice (you should get about a tablespoon and a half). Discard the fibrous flesh and stir the juice into the cheese with the lemon juice, wasabi and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt.

Divide the cream between six small plates or one large platter, spreading it out into a 0.5cm-thick layer. Divide the vegetables between the plates, arranging them randomly over the cream, dot with the peas, pea shoots and any fennel fronds, and finish with a sprinkling of chilli.

Grilled leeks and spring onions with dolcelatte and pickled onions

This is an intense starter with sweet, sour and oniony tones. A slice of good bread alongside is almost mandatory. The three main elements – the leeks and spring onions, the cheesy cream and the pickled onions – can all be made a few hours ahead of time (the cream needs refrigerating, mind) and put together at the last minute.

Prep 5 min
Cooking 25-30 min
Serves 4

½ red onion (about 60g), peeled and very finely sliced (use a mandoline if you have one)
1½ tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
⅛ tsp black peppercorns, roughly crushed
¼ tsp pink peppercorns
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 leeks, trimmed, cut in half lengthways and then into 6cm-long pieces (450g net weight)
60ml olive oil
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed, cut in half lengthways and then into 6cm-long pieces (75g net weight)
60g mascarpone
30g dolcelatte (or gorgonzola dolce)
1½ tbsp double cream
5g chives, cut into 2cm lengths

Put the first eight ingredients in a small bowl with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Thoroughly massage the onions in the mixture, then leave to pickle for at least an hour.

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Lay the leeks cut side up on a 25cm x 35cm oven tray and season with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Drizzle over two and a half tablespoons each of the oil and of cold water, and roast for 15 minutes, until the leeks are beginning to soften and blacken around the edges. Scatter the spring onions over the leeks, add a pinch of salt and half a tablespoon of oil, and return to the oven for eight minutes. Turn the oven grill to its highest setting, then grill the vegetables for four minutes until they are charred and soft, but not burned. Leave to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk the mascarpone, dolcelatte, cream, a pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper until combined and smooth.

Once the leeks and spring onions are cool, use a fish slice to slide them on to a serving platter (so keeping the leeks cut side up). Drop dollops of the cheese-and-cream mixture haphazardly all over the vegetables.

Combine the chives with the remaining tablespoon of oil, then dribble all over the top of the vegetables and cheese. Spoon on the pickled onions (including their pickling liquid and aromatics), and serve at room temperature.

Baked baby artichokes with fennel and lemon

There’s a bitterness in this that works so well with the creamy rich sauce. Serves four, as a starter.

2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut lengthways into 2mm-thick slices – ideally, use a mandoline
4 bay leaves
¼ tsp black peppercorns
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt
8 whole baby artichokes, stems trimmed to 2cm long
100ml dry white wine
2 tbsp lemon juice
15g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
100g creme fraiche
20g mayonnaise

Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Put the fennel, bay, peppercorns, oil and half a teaspoon of salt in a medium, high-sided baking tray (about 25cm x 28cm), and stir to combine. Lay in the artichokes on their sides, slightly embedded in the fennel mix.

Combine the wine with 100ml water and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Pour over the artichokes, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, turning the artichokes halfway through. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more, until the fennel has started to colour and any remaining liquid has evaporated. Lift the artichokes from the tray, then stir the lemon juice and tarragon through the fennel mix.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the creme fraiche and mayonnaise, and set aside.

To serve, divide the warm fennel between four plates and top each portion with two warm artichokes. Spoon some of the creme fraiche mix on the side and serve.

Hawaiian pork chops

Serve with sticky rice. Serves six.

1 small 750g pineapple, peeled
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
20g ginger, peeled and finely grated
60ml light soy sauce
120ml coconut cream
75g caster sugar
90ml sunflower oil
1½ tsp chilli powder
50g salted and roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1½ tbsp ground coriander
40g fresh coriander, chopped
Salt
6 pork chops

Cut off the top third of the pineapple, and coarsely grate the flesh into a bowl. Cut the rest of the pineapple lengthways into quarters, cut out the core and cut each quarter widthways into 1cm slices. Add the garlic and ginger to the grated pineapple, then the soy, coconut, sugar, oil, chilli, peanuts, ground coriander, 30g of fresh coriander and half a teaspoon of salt. Mix in the chops, cover and marinate in the fridge for an hour.

Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Put a ridged griddle pan on a high heat. Lift out the pork and scrape off the marinade back into the bowl. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt over the chops and griddle them two at a time for three minutes, turning once, until nicely charred on both sides. Transfer to a deep-sided 32cm x 22cm baking tray. With the pan still on a high heat, griddle the pineapple slices for two minutes, turning once, until charred on both sides, and add to the tray. Spoon over the marinade and roast for 10 minutes, until the pork is just cooked (timings may vary, depending on the thickness of the chops) and the sauce bubbling. Rest for three minutes, sprinkle on the rest of the coriander and serve.

Mackerel escabeche salad

This fish is sensational just on grilled bread, but here it’s turned into a meal in a bowl. Serves two to four.

About 100ml olive oil
1 banana shallot, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 bay leaf
⅛ tsp saffron threads
⅛ tsp whole cloves
¼ tsp each black and pink peppercorns
1 carrot, peeled and cut into julienne
100ml dry white wine
75ml white-wine vinegar
1½ tbsp Pedro Ximénez (or other sweet sherry)
1½ tbsp chopped parsley leaves
4 mackerel fillets, pin-boned
1 tbsp plain flour
Salt
100g cooked butter beans
50g rocket
30g pitted black olives, halved
¼ tsp hot smoked paprika

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan and gently sauté the shallot for three to five minutes. Add the garlic, bay, saffron, cloves and peppercorns, and cook for three minutes. Add the carrot and sauté on a low to medium heat for five minutes. Pour in the liquids, simmer for 10 minutes, set aside to cool, then stir in the parsley.

Heat all but a tablespoon of the remaining oil in a frying pan. Toss the fish in flour and some salt, and over a medium heat fry for two minutes a side. Transfer to a dish, spoon over the marinade, cover in clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, break the fish into chunks and place in a bowl. Add the marinade and remaining ingredients, plus more oil, if needs be, and toss. Taste, add salt if necessary and serve.

Kale and Swiss chard tart

Don’t be put off by any healthy, virtuous images that may come to mind when you see the name of this dish. This green tart is fantastically delectable and rich. Use spinach instead of chard, if you prefer or can’t find any chard. Serves six to eight.

250g shortcrust pastry
A little plain flour, for dusting
200g kale, roughly chopped
200g Swiss chard, stalks discarded and leaves roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tsp for brushing
30g unsalted butter
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
20g picked tarragon leaves
20g picked mint leaves
30g picked parsley leaves, roughly chopped
40g fresh white breadcrumbs (roughly what you get from a slice of crustless bread)
½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
100ml double cream
2 eggs, lightly whisked
40g pine nuts, toasted
100g mature cheddar, roughly grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Greek yoghurt, to serve

Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick, then transfer to a 24cm round quiche or flan tin. Trim, leaving about 5mm of pastry hanging over the edge of the tin, in case it shrinks during cooking. Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork, and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Line the pastry case with baking parchment, then fill with baking beans and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully lift out the paper and beans, and bake for 10 minutes more, until the pastry is golden-brown, then remove and leave to cool.

Put a large pan of water on to boil. Once the water is bubbling, add the kale and chard, cook for four minutes, then drain and set aside to cool. Transfer the greens to a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Put a medium frying pan on a medium-high heat with the oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and fry for six minutes, stirring a few times, until soft and golden-brown. Add the garlic and cook for two minutes, then tip the lot into a food processor. Add the cooked greens and fresh herbs, pulse for 20 seconds, to make a rough green paste and then put in a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, nutmeg, cream, eggs, pine nuts, cheddar, half a teaspoon salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well, then spoon into the tart shell, spreading it out evenly, then bake for 25-30 minutes, until just set.

Remove and brush with the remaining oil. Leave to cool slightly – for about 10 minutes – and serve.

Lamb meatballs with braised fennel

Vermouth is an unsung ingredient that goes just that bit further than white wine (though the latter does make a decent substitute here), because it adds sweet, sharp and floral notes all at the same time. A bottle goes a long way, so keep one in the cupboard to elevate sauces and stews.

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4-6

4 small fennel bulbs (about 900g in total)
500g minced lamb
30g fresh white breadcrumbs, from about 1 slice of bread
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
20g parsley leaves, finely chopped
15g dill, finely chopped
5 anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped
1 tbsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
40g currants
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
200ml white vermouth (or dry white wine)
6 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 lemon – peel shaved into long strips, then cut into wedges, to serve
20g pine nuts, lightly toasted

On a medium-high flame, heat the oil in a large saute pan for which you have a lid. Once hot, fry the half the meatballs for five minutes, turning regularly, until browned all over. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, then repeat with the remaining meatballs.

In the same pan, fry the fennel wedges for four minutes, turning them a few times, until browned all over. Add the vermouth and, once it’s bubbling, stir in the tomatoes, lemon peel, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Once the mix has come to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and leave to simmer gently for 10 minutes, until the fennel is starting to soften.

Return the meatballs to the pan, stir them through, cover and leave to cook for 30 minutes, until the fennel is soft and the meatballs are cooked.

Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high and cook for five more minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the pine nuts and reserved fennel fronds, and serve with lemon wedges.

Watermelon and strawberry granita

I’ve called this a granita, because it’s no-churn and not entirely smooth, but it’s more like a sorbet, really. It’s incredibly refreshing, and the perfect end to a summer meal when you’re too full or hot to handle a rich dessert, but still need a sweet hit. Transfer it from the freezer to the fridge for five to 10 minutes before serving, to make it easier to scoop.

Prep 10 min
Cook 10 min
Freeze 5 hr
Serves 4

½ small seedless watermelon, peeled, flesh cut into 2cm chunks (350g net weight)
150g ripe strawberries, hulled, roughly chopped
5g makrut lime leaves, stalks removed, then blitzed in a spice grinder (or very finely chopped)
125g glucose
4 limes – finely grate enough skin to get 2 tsp zest, then juice 2 to get 3 tbsp; cut the rest into wedges, to serve
2 tbsp vodka
2 tsp caster sugar

Put both fruits in a large container and freeze until solid – about two hours.

Meanwhile, put two-thirds of the makrut lime leaves in a small saucepan with the glucose, lime juice and zest, and vodka, and gently heat on a medium flame until the glucose has melted and is warm. Leave to infuse, preferably for at least an hour, then reheat until warm and runny. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve, and discard the bits of lime leaf. Put the frozen fruit and makrut syrup in a blender, and blitz until smooth and slushy.

Transfer everything to a container, cover with a lid or clingfilm, and freeze until firm – about three hours. Meanwhile, mix the remaining shredded lime leaves with the caster sugar. Serve the granita with a little lime sugar sprinkled on top and lime wedges alongside.

Chocolate, orange and chipotle fondants

Fondant puddings may sound like relics, but I adore them. Without the sauce, these are pretty quick to make and can easily be prepared ahead of time, ready to go in the oven just when you need them. The sauce is very good, though, and can also be made a day ahead. Omit the chilli for a child-friendly version.

Prep 10 min
Chill 1 hr-overnight
Cook 1 hr
Serves 8

For the fondants
250g unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1½cm cubes, plus extra for greasing
2 tbsp cocoa powder, for dusting
125g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly broken into bite-sized pieces
125g milk chocolate, roughly broken into bite-sized pieces
5 whole eggs, plus 1 yolk extra
225g light soft brown sugar
1 tsp chipotle chilli flakes
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g creme fraiche, to serve (optional)

For the orange caramel sauce
4 large oranges
100g caster sugar
1 tbsp Grand Marnier
¼ tsp chipotle chilli flakes
1 pinch salt

Finely grate the zest of two oranges, to get one tablespoon. Using a small, sharp knife, top and tail all the oranges, then cut along their curves to remove the skin and pith. Place a sieve over a medium bowl. Working over the bowl, cut in between each membrane to release the segments into the sieve. Squeeze whatever is left of the oranges into the bowl – you want about 60ml juice, so save any extra for another use. Put the segments in a separate small bowl.

Grease the inside of eight dariole moulds with butter, dust with the cocoa powder, shaking off any excess, then put on a baking tray.

Put the butter and both chocolates in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment in place, lightly whisk the eggs, extra yolk, sugar, chilli, salt, vanilla and orange zest on medium-low speed until smooth and combined, about 30 seconds. Add the melted chocolate and butter, and mix until fully combined – about 30 seconds more. Spoon into the prepared moulds, so they’re two-thirds full, then chill for at least an hour, or overnight.

For the sauce, put the caster sugar in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat and cook, swirling the pan gently, until it melts and turns an amber caramel. Slowly add the orange juice, Grand Marnier, chipotle and salt, and whisk for a couple of minutes, until smooth and melted – it will sputter, so be careful. Turn off the heat, then pour the mixture over the orange segments, stirring to combine, and chill.

Heat the oven to 190C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Bake the fondants straight from the fridge for 18 minutes, or until cooked on the outside and slightly wobbly in the centre. Leave to rest for a minute, then, using a tea towel, carefully unmould on to individual plates. Serve with the sauce and, if you like, creme fraiche alongside.

These recipes have been selected from The Guardian’s recipe archive, based on produce that is currently in season in Australia. Some recipes have been modified to reflect Australian cooking terminology.