Chef and recipe book writer, Yotam Ottolenghi has recently brought out another gem of a recipe book called “Simple” (Do buy it, you won’t regret it)
This recipe was the first one to grab my attention and it certainly deserves the word “sublime” and is in my repertoire forever.
350 g (12.5 oz) cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp light brown sugar
3 garlic cloves peeled and finely sliced
3 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1 lemon – zest of one half shaved off in 3 wide strips, the other half grated
salt and black pepper
250 g (9 oz) fridge-cold extra-thick Greek yoghurt
1 tsp urfa chili flakes or ½ tsp regular chili flakes
Heat the oven to 400 F
Put the tomatoes in a rimmed baking dish that’s just large enough to accommodate them all snugly. Add the oil, cumin, sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano sprigs, lemon strips, a pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper. Toss together with your hands.
Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to blister and the liquid is bubbling, then turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for 5 to 7 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blacken on top.
While the tomatoes are roasting, mix the yoghurt with the grated lemon zest and 1/4 tsp salt, then return to the fridge.
Once the tomatoes are ready, spread out the cold yoghurt on a large plate or shallow, wide bowl. Spoon the hot tomatoes on top, as well as the pan juices, lemon peel, garlic and herbs, and finish with the remaining oregano and chili. Serve at once with some flatbreads or sourdough.