OTTOLENGHI TEST KITCHEN: Shelf Love

Famous restaurateurs Ottolenghi and Murad were forced to reassess their menus when Covid struck. This cookbook tells us what happened next. Mouthwatering dishes were created in the Test kitchen in North London, using the jars, tins and packets from the back of the shelf, plus strange shapeless objects at the bottom of the freezer, mixed together with easily acquired basic ingredients. The book is a testament to the fact that a stripped-down kitchen need not mean a compromise on quality and the recipes are presented as a work in progress on which the individual cook will scribble their own variations. First up is a jar of butter beans combined with preserved lemon, chile or herb oil, together with tomato paste. There are hints on making better hummus, for instance peeling the chickpeas gives a much more creamy consistency, and adding ice cubes to the blend increases aeration. Making your own pita bread accompaniment is easy with packeted yeast. There are several different parathas, and the polenta fries in themselves are enough to persuade anyone to buy the book. Oat porridge with ginger, garlic and boiled egg is an unusual take on a dish often regarded as sweet rather than savoury, and a giant couscous cake is another unexpectedly savoury item. Black limes are a delicacy that may not be in everyone's kitchen, but if you can get hold of them they will transform your beef skewers. Other simple dishes include grilled confit parsnips with herbs and vinegar, salmon with tahini, chicken and parmesan soup with pappardelle, pulled port vindaloo, sticky sweet and sour plums with sausages, and finally a vampire-slaying toum (garlic, oil, lemon). For dessert, Berries, bread and brown butter, Choco flan, Coconut dream cake. Paperback, 260pp, colour photos.