Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for new year comfort food – The Guardian
We’ve made it through another year – well done us! There are all kinds of ways to see out 2022, but whether you’re dressing up to party or donning slippers to get cosy, the weeks ahead demand only one thing of the kitchen: comfort food. What that is means different things to different people, but there’s often something about its texture that hits the spot: flaky, all-butter puff pastry, warm sponge, duvet-like polenta, soft prunes, melted cheese … These are just some of the ways I’ll be getting comfort from food in the new year, and I hope you will, too. Here’s to 2023.
Chicken, prune and split pea pie (pictured top)
This takes inspiration from khoresh, an Iranian stew that’s as celebratory as it is comforting. It makes a great centrepiece and needs little more than a green salad on the side. If you like, assemble the pie the night before, so it’s oven ready.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 6
100g yellow split peas, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drained
30g red lentils
3 black limes, each lightly pierced 3 times with the tip of a sharp knife
1 x 325g sheet ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp nigella seeds
2 onions, peeled and finely sliced (365g)
3 tbsp olive oil
Fine sea salt
1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4cm pieces
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp plain flour
55ml apple cider vinegar
20g coriander leaves, finely chopped
200g prunes, pitted and each roughly chopped into 6
Put the first three ingredients in a medium saucepan with 850ml water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 35 minutes, until the split peas are tender but still hold their shape. Squeeze the limes against the side of the pan to release as much liquid as possible, then remove and discard the husks.
Unroll the pastry, roll it out a little more to 23cm x 36cm, then brush lightly with half the egg and cut it widthways into nine 5cm-wide strips. Sprinkle with the nigella seeds, then put on …….