Ottolenghi Test Kitchen - Extra Good Things

by Yotam Ottolenghi

The Globe and Mail bestselling author Yotam Ottolenghi and his superteam of chefs bring you the second installment in the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen series, delivering maximum-flavor recipes with cook-it-forward elements that can turn any dish into an Ottolenghi favorite.

Just like Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love, Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things is all about bringing big flavor and flexibility to every meal, with pantry staples and freezer-friendly ingredients. This time, Yotam, Noor, and the rest of the test kitchen team bring you delicious recipes that'll you love to cook on a weeknight, each with a special element that can be used to create endless Ottolenghi-inspired possibilties. These special elements are the makings of the most fantastic pantry to have at your fingertips--condiments with a little bit of funk or crunch, irresistible sauces, zippy dressings and drizzles, and more make-ahead items you'll use over and over throughout the week, to elevate every meal with that little extra Ottolenghi touch.

These crave-worthy additions will instantly become favorites in your repertoire for their ability to be used in countless ways. Maybe you'll use the extra Marinated Feta from Oven-Braised Chickpeas with Carrots and Dates to give oomph to a salad or toast the next day. Or, maybe you'll use the Harissa Butter that shines in Mushroom Kiev to work magic in future mashed potatoes or steamed veggies. Or perhaps you'll fall in love with the Tamarind Dressing used for Turmeric-Fried Eggs, and later spoon it over a steak. The desserts, too, are highly adaptable and meant to be built upon, with elevated but simple classics like mousse, crostata, and granita that give you one basic treatment to teach you the essential technique, but that you can riff on immediately with your own preferred flavor combinations.

These are recipes for playing it forward, Ottolenghi style--filling your cupboards with adaptable, homemade ingredients to add some oomph to every mealtime.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Cuisine, Reference

256 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2022

About the author

Yotam Ottolenghi's path to the world of cooking and baking has been anything but straightforward. Having completed a Masters degree in philosophy and literature whilst working on the news desk of an Israeli daily, he made a radical shift on coming to London in 1997. He started as an assistant pastry chef at the Capital and then worked at Kensington Place and Launceston Place, where he ran the pastry section. Yotam subsequently worked for Maison Blanc and then Baker and Spice, before starting his own eponymous group of restaurants/food shops, with branches in Notting Hill, Islington and Kensington.

Reviews

[Savanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admire the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen crew, even if I find a lot of their recipes to be a little too outside of the norm to be practical for my everyday life. Still, if you find yourself in a bit of a rut, this is a fun book to consult. Maybe jazz up your recipe with some feta! Or some sumac! A chile or two? Maybe just whip up some canned beans with chile oil, that wouldn’t be too hard. Will I ever make a solid recipe out of this? Probably not. But it’s fun to pick up some tips, tricks, and new inspiration here and there.

[Tracy]

I find Ottolenghi recipes inspiring but often not actually something I want to cook. (Burnt lemon powder, anyone?) I was surprised to flag ten recipes to try in here.

The concept for this cookbook is intriguing: designed to feature the "extras" that elevate a dish. These are the area of cooking I'm most lacking in -- a combination of laziness, not knowing what condiment to add, running out of time and energy to make things, and knowing it's not worth the effort for two people because it'll go to waste.

Unfortunately, a lot of the recipes say they last only five days -- one even lasted only two!!! It's just not worth my time at that point.

This book is designed well, with helpful pullout menus at the front and back of the book to help you find what to cook. I love the bold red and cyan pairing on the cover, which goes well with the *juuj* of the book. I haven't made anything but the instructions did seem to be broken down well into steps. Each section started with a photo of all the "extras" you'd find, giving a clear look at it on its own rather than served with a dish (both helpful).

Lots of vegetarian dishes!

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feta dumplings with fresh chilli sauce

feta - ricotta - pecorino Romano
eggs - egg yolk - cinnamon
unsalted butter - Fresno chilli
plum tomatoes - apple cider vinegar

Parmigiana pie with tomato sauce
eggplant - eggs - egg yolk
breadcrumbs - kataifi pastry - pecorino Romano
buffalo mozzarella - onion - garlic
Aleppo chilli flakes - cinnamon - cumin
tomatoes - coriander

Rose harissa
garlic - dried Kashmir chillies - dried ancho chillies
cumin seed - coriander seeds - caraway seeds
Kashmiri chilli powder - tomato paste
dried rose petals - apple cider vinegar - rose water

Bloomin’ leeks with green ranch dressing
leeks - sunflower oil - chickpea flour
cornstarch - cumin - ground coriander
chili powder - turmeric - eggs
buttermilk - chives - dill
lime - dijon - sour cream

Kohlrabi tonnato
sunflower oil - tarragon - mint
Aleppo chilli flakes - egg yolks - dijon mustard
anchovies - lemons
tuna in olive oil - capers in brine

Confit leeks with Puy lentils and leek cream
leeks - garlic - thyme
olive oil - lemon - parsley
dill - tarragon
heavy cream - dijon

Chicken wings with banana ketchup
onions - garlic - Fresno chili
ginger - tomato paste - allspice
overripe banana - rice wine vinegar - soy sauce
fish sauce - lime - maple syrup
chicken wings - green onion

Shawarma cauliflower with green tahini
[might get some to eat collie flowers]
[im sure the cabbage fresco chili and tahini will probably give people indigestion]

sweet smoked paprika - turmeric - cumin
ground coriander - cloves - allspice
apple cider vinegar - cauliflower - onions
red cabbage - red onion - lemon
Fresno chillies - garlic - tomato paste
mint - parsley - tahini

Roasted tomato and eggplant soup with anchovy aioli
eggplant - datterini tomatoes - Fresno chillies
tomato paste - tomatoes - chicken stock
croutons - oregano - parsley
garlic - anchovies
sunflower oil - egg yolks

Spiced lentil pancakes with mango salsa and coconut chutney [weird]
yellow split peas - garlic - ginger
turmeric - coconut oil - tomato paste
shredded coconut - Fresno chillies - lime
green mango - serrano chilli
mint - coriander leaf

Sweet potato with goma dare and crispy tofu [wow sweet potatoes, msg and styrofoam!]
sweet potatoes - Aleppo chilli flakes
sweet smoked paprika - toasted sesame oil
extra-firm tofu - soy sauce - white sesame seeds
Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise - rice wine vinegar - maple syrup

Sweet and savory chicken pie with cinnamon almonds [the eggs is off-putting here]
flour - whole wheat flour - unsalted butter
garlic - onions - ginger
boneless skinless chicken thighs - cinnamon
saffron threads - coriander leaf
eggs - blanched almonds

Sweet ’n’ sour peppers with pine nut crumble
Romano peppers - soy sauce - apple cider vinegar
maple syrup - garlic - toasted sesame oil
cumin seeds - pine nuts - coriander leaves

Rosti with cream cheese, dill pickle, and everything seasoning [potatoes and really freaky shit]
potatoes - panko - ghee
cream cheese - spring onion - yellow mustard seed
rice wine vinegar - cucumber - red onion
dill - sesame seeds - nigella seeds
onion flakes - garlic granules - Aleppo chilli flakes

Asparagus with labneh, brown butter, and burnt lemon
asparagus - unsalted butter - thyme
yoghurt - lemons

Slow-cooked zucchini with pangrattato
onion - zucchini - garlic
oregano - tomato paste - datterini tomatoes
basil - panko - pine nuts

Soba noodles with ginger broth and ginger crumbs
soba noodles - lime - soy sauce
coriander leaves - chilli flakes - paprika
ginger - shallots - panko
sesame seeds - garlic - chicken stock

Coconut broth prawns with fried aromatics
prawns - tomato paste - garlic
ginger - lemongrass - makrut lime leaves
coconut milk - heavy cream - datterini tomatoes
limes - Fresno chillies
coconut chips - basil

Grapefruit and orange salad with coconut floss [a highly interesting one!]
grapefruits - oranges - cucumber
shallots - Fresno chillies - coriander leaves
fish sauce - lime - little gem lettuce
ginger - turmeric - fennel seed
coriander seeds - coconut

Sunshine salad with carrot-ginger dressing [avocado with a weird cucumber and ginger angle]
Lebanese cucumber - red onion - lime
Thai basil - avocado - sesame seeds
toasted sesame oil - carrots - ginger
honey - soy sauce
white miso - rice vinegar

Dreamy pasta and beans with halloumi and arugula pesto [like a super creepy pasta e fagoli]
garlic - serrano chillies - thyme
tinned cannellini beans - gemelli pasta
chicken stock - lemons - halloumi
pine nuts - arugula - parsley

Chaya’s dal pita with grilled tomato salsa [I'd probably prefer a green lentil lasagna though]
chana dal - yellow split peas - onions
garlic - thyme - curry leaves
dried chillies - black mustard seeds - cumin seeds
turmeric - lasagna pasta - tomatoes
shallots - Fresno chillies
lemon - coriander leaves

Potato slab pie with salsa verde
puff pastry - Gruyere - feta
green olives - spring onions - parsley
mint - potatoes
eggs - egg yolks
heavy cream - creme fraiche
sesame seeds - basil
anchovies - apple cider vinegar

Green frittata with burnt eggplant and pomegranate salsa
eggplants - eggs - turmeric
cinnamon - cumin - cardamom pods
garlic - parsley - coriander leaves
dill - spring onions - pomegranate seeds
red onions - sumac - lemons

Brothy black-eyed peas with grilled onion salsa
[feels wrong with the peas]
[would be fascinating if it was not a bean stew with the good flavors]

black-eyed peas - cinnamon stick - fresh bay leaf
Scotch bonnet chillies - garlic - allspice
chicken stock - crispy fried onions
coriander seeds - red onion
datterini tomatoes - parsley - lemon

Brown-butter butter beans with green onion pesto
[lima beans and anchovies - yucky poo!]
[it's a pesto...suuuuuuuuure]

lima beans - unsalted butter - garlic
anchovies - chilli flakes - lemon
parsley - spring onion - Parmesan

Blackened chicken with caramel and clementine dressing
chicken thighs - turmeric - chilli flakes
fish sauce - spring onion - ginger
Fresno chillies - rice wine vinegar - lime
clementines - coriander leaves

Asparagus cannelloni with yoghurt bechamel and coriander pesto
lasagna pasta - asparagus - coriander leaves
hazelnuts - coriander seeds - lemons
yoghurt - egg yolk
pecorino Romano - mozzarella

two-scalloped potatoes with chimichurri
potatoes - sweet potatoes
oregano - parsley
garlic - chicken stock - Fresno chillies

Baked polenta with feta, bechamel, and zaatar tomatoes

milk - garlic [a great start]
unsalted butter - instant polenta
pecorino Romano - feta
oregano - datterini tomatoes - balsamic vinegar
zaatar - parsley

Rosemary and thyme farinata with jammy onions
chickpea flour - fennel seeds
rosemary - thyme - onions
white miso - Chinkiang black rice vinegar

Creamy gazpacho with ginger-garlic oil [strange!]
tomatoes - pine nuts - red capsicum
red onions - Fresno chillies - paprika
cumin seed - cucumber - ginger
garlic - coriander leaves - olive oil

Roasted hake with fenugreek onions and herby, yogurty peas
[seems like a McDonalds Fillet-o-Fish from hell]

hake - lemons
fenugreek seed - coriander seeds - cumin seeds
cardamom pods - turmeric - onion
serrano chillies - coriander leaf - yoghurt
peas - broad beans

Cheesy baked crepes with orange rayu
sunflower oil - spring onion - ginger
garlic - Aleppo chilli flakes
white sesame seeds - black sesame seeds
oranges - soy sauce - milk - cream cheese
eggs - flour - turmeric
limes - Gruyere

Fragrant coconut rice with sizzling green onions
jasmine rice - coconut oil - whole star anise
cardamom pods - coconut milk
sunflower oil - coconut chips
spring onions - ground star anise

Fried tagliatelle, chickpeas, and smoky tomato oil
tagliatelle pasta - dried chickpeas - lemons
parsley - datterini tomatoes
dried chipotle chillies - paprika - tomato paste

Caramelized fennel with orzo and saffron water
fennel - orzo pasta - garlic
coriander seed - vegetable stock - white wine
dill - pistachios - lemons
saffron strands

Celeriac skewers with fragrant chilli oil
celeriac - coriander leaves - lime
olive oil - garlic - star anise
cinnamon stick - cardamom pods
chilli flakes - Kashmiri chilli powder
tomato paste

Charred green pepper and bulgur pilaf with parsley oil
Turkish green peppers - onions - garlic
tomato paste - allspice - cinnamon
Aleppo chilli flakes - plum tomatoes
bulgur wheat - yoghurt
parsley - olive oil - lemon

Black lime focaccia with smoky chipotle oil
dried black limes - sesame seeds
instant yeast - flour - garlic
dried chipotle chillies - sweet smoked paprika

Pistachio macaron cake with elderflower apricots
slivered pistachios - almond meal
eggs - sugar - vanilla bean paste
sliced almonds - heavy cream - elderflower cordial
vanilla pods - lemons - apricots

Tahdig ice cream [barftastic]
basmati rice - rice flour
milk - heavy cream
vanilla pod - egg yolks - eggs

Devil’s food cake
cocoa - flour - sugar
sunflower oil - eggs - kefir
coffee - hazelnuts
heavy cream - mascarpone
malted milk powder

Lemon posset, meringue, and burnt lemon
lemon - yoghurt
sugar - heavy cream - egg whites

Coffee mousse with tahini fudge
instant coffee - cocoa powder
vanilla bean paste - maple syrup
heavy cream - egg white
roasted salted mixed nuts - tahini

Granita with chilli lime pineapple and crispy coconut
coconut water - lime - coconut milk
condensed coconut milk - star anise
vanilla bean paste - coconut flakes
pineapple - Aleppo chilli flakes

Brown sugar meringue roulade with burnt honey apples
honey - vanilla pod - fresh bay leaf
cinnamon stick - ground cinnamon
Braeburn apples - egg white - sugar
vanilla bean paste - heavy cream
mascarpone - oranges

Chocolate, orange, and pistachio buns aka V’s fabulous buns
[weird orange with weird chocolate]

bread flour - flour - instant yeast
pistachios - cardamom pods - oranges
vanilla bean paste - eggs - chocolate orange bars

Blueberry and cream cheese crostata
flour - whole wheat flour
unsalted butter - egg yolk
cream cheese - limes
vanilla bean paste - blueberries

Baked apples with pumpkin caramel and rye crumbs
Pink Lady apples - smoked paprika - sugar
heavy cream - unsalted butter - pumpkin puree
cinnamon - rye sourdough bread - powdered ginger

[Reading Fool · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Introduction to this book, the authors present the concept of the verb "to Ottolenghify," that is, "to make something feel unequivocally Ottolenghi," which is to say make it awesome with lots of flavor and Middle Eastern influence. Extra Good Things is the second book in the series produced by the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen. These are recipes for sauces, marinades, condiments, dressings - all to enhance your dishes.
I love this book for all of its creativity and inspiration. I have tried a few recipes, all extra-good things (pun intended). The Peanut Gochujang Dressing was a marvel with roasted broccolini (though the recipe calls for steaming). The Korean influence was a pleasant surprise. Then there was the Carrot-Ginger Dressing, which was great with a simple romaine salad. My favorite recipe so far is the 2-Scalloped Potatoes with Chimichurri. A huge hit with the family.
The photographs in the book are lovely. I also appreciate that the recipes are "vegetable-forward" as it gives me a lot of inspiration to widen my repertoire for my vegetarian/vegan friends. This would be a wonderful gift for any home cook.
I've received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, if you love to cook and you haven't tried Ottolenghi yet, you just have to stop what you're doing, get one of his books and start cooking! Sure, SOME of the ingredient lists seem a bit alien to begin with, but even substituting ingredients I can't find, I still end up with dishes that are Michelin Star Worthy and are just so much fun to eat because they taste so unlike anything I come up with on my own or by following other normal cookbooks that are just parsley, basil, and cheese, oh blah! Don't skip his recommendations and you are sure to have the BEST meal! Yes, it took an hour and a half this morning to make the Sambal tofu with cashews and ginger pickle, but now I've had an amazing breakfast and still lunch for tomorrow. Double the Extra Good Things included with each recipe and you're set for the next time you want to make it. This one includes additional suggestions on how to use the Extra Good Thing, so you'll never get bored with this cookbook. So good!!

[Amy Alderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Rounded up. I already have the first OTK book Shelf Love and have tried lots of recipes in it, so I was looking forward to getting this one. Unfortunately, I'm a bit disappointed. After 3 passes through the book, there are only a couple of things I fancy trying (the first book I had 15+ items tagged on first pass). Maybe it's because the recipes are designed to showcase the 'Extras'; sauces, pickles, sprinkles etc. and as a result are less interesting in themselves? Perhaps it's because making the accompanying 'Extra' seems more hassle (and uses more ingredients) than I want to deal with for a evening meal? Perhaps it's because quite a few recipes include ingredients that I just can't get easily in rural Scotland without some serious online or in person legwork (lime leaves, mooli, dried chillis, pumpkin puree, kataifi pastry etc.), while Shelf Love focused more on store cupboard staples? (Saying that, Shelf Love had quite a few unusual ingredients too. Black limes anyone?). Perhaps it's because the one recipe I did try (Feta dumplings) just didn't work (the quantities seemed wrong - the mixture was way too wet). Perhaps it's because there were just too many butter beans and split peas involved and I hate both? Who knows. All I can say is that whilst Shelf Love has become a well thumbed favourite in my cookbook collection, I'm glad I borrowed this one from the Library.

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second installation of Ottolenghi Test Kitchen (aka OTK) is a unrivalled companion to its first book! Amog all the delicious recipes, I can't wait to make double lemon chicken with cheat's preserved lemon, Sambal tofu with cashews and ginger pickle, Tuna and Potato croquettes, lamb and potato chap with fenugreek yogurt, slow cooked lamb shoulder with fig and pistachio salsa and also blueberry and cream cheese crostata!

My thanks go to Clarkson & Potter publishers for sending me a free book.!

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like weird, don’t get me wrong, but almost all of the recipes in this book are capital W Weird. And call for many ingredients that might be difficult to source for a lot of readers.

The ratio of pictures to recipes is good (as in, each recipe has a photo), but the recipes themselves? Not so much. I’ll be passing on purchasing a copy of this for my shelves. Which is a shame because I usually always love Ottolenghi cookbooks.

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this much better than the Shelf Love cookbook, but less so than the other previous Ottolenghi books. It is definitely exotic and, for many, boundary-pushing and I think I'll even have trouble finding dried black limes and fresh Aleppo pepper. (And I live part-time in the Middle East!) Unfortunately, many of the recipes keep for less than a couple four days in the fridge, even though they are condiment-like. I did dog-ear several pages. I am not a confident cook—the rest of my family is—but we are all varying degrees of brave eaters so this cookbook is one we'll all take a look at.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads.com.
Two things I love about good cookbooks:
1) pictures of every dish
2) nice heavy pages
This book delivered on both with fascinating recipes. I’m hoping I can find some of the more unusual ingredients, at least unusual for the Midwest, so I can make these mouthwatering dishes.

[Sheena Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of photos, many great recipes/many very weird recipes.
Flexible ideas that can be mixed and matched.
I have complete faith that most of these recipes would be delicious but not sure if it's worth the effort to source out all the odd ingredients. The few recipes I've tried have been great but not sure how much further I'll cook with this.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had more space for a cookbook library, I would definitely add this to my collection. Sauces, spreads, sprinkles and pickles add so much flavor to dishes. With a stock of three or four rotating items from this cookbook, a person can cook an endless variety of dishes in a two week spread by simply varying the topping.

[Golden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love his cookbooks and recipes. This one just did not have it for me. Photos of food like the turmeric eggs for example and the creamed spinach with paprika looked unappetizing at best . I really did not find any recipe I really wanted to make. I will stick to his previous books which I find excellent .

[Laura Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cookbook has a lot of things I never thought of or seen to do its different then what I usually eat but gives me ideas when im tired of the same stuff after awhile. Its a good quality nicely put book.

[Giordana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars for me - the 0.5 less is because you do need time to make these! But I want to make everything in here! It gives you recipes for some staples (like a chili sauce) and then recipes to use up these staples. Brilliant!

[S Vanorse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely put together and easy to follow but many recipes call for a very long list of ingredients 20 plus, with recipes done in steps. Library copy and unfortunately I returned it before I realized had marked some things I wanted in review.

[Charles Eldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner from the Ottolenghi culinary universe - taking the flavors that he favors and specifically presenting them for the home cook. I’m a fan. Always worth flipping through for inspiration when I just don’t know what to make for dinner.

[Anat Hochberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tasty dishes

Plenty of tasty recipes, great ideas and suggestions, also detailed explanations how to prepare.

However, often too many ingredients for me, and too many steps in the preparation of the dishes… Nonetheless, mouthwatering.

[Therese Brink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent cookbook. Each recipe has its own photo of the fiished recipe. The book is p[rinted on heavy paper. I've already prepared two of the recipes; they were delcious. The only downside - complicated recipes.

Note - cookbook uses the metric system.

[Andrea Press]

For February cookbook club. Made Vampire Slaying Toum, stuff as costco better. One pan spaghetti and chicken thighs (so good, very flavorful with not a lot of ingredients) and will make zucchini with tomato salsa and ricotta. Lots of vegetarian recipes.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book as I do all new cook book.

Since this was a test kitchen book it was like reading a laboratory report and had great information.

I got several ideas for future delicious and healthy kitcehn fun--for my self and groups.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, complex but doable recipes that look fantastic.

[Linda]

Too exotic for my digestion.

[Nessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful book, perfect for foodies!!

[Mskychick · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was very little in this cookbook I’m interested in trying, sadly. Lots of interesting-sounding items in an abstract manner, but these are not the recipes for me.

[Wei Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mainly adding this because this is a f***ing phenomenal cookbook with the kind of generosity, creativity, and warmness that made me want to cook every single god damn recipe inside.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book. It's wonderful. It's well written and the pictures are gorgeous. Can't wait to make some!

[Dray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second cookbook I have read that has come out of the OTK. A food lab. experimenting with great new tastes. The creativity is amazing, the recipes are amazing. Keep going! Bravo.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

More great recipes and ideas. I have to return it to the library, but look forward to borrowing it again.

[Fionn McNaughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was as much fun to read as it has been to experiment with the recipes :)