From chilli oil to tahini thins: Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes for edible Christmas gifts (2024)

Every year, a month or so before Christmas, I plan all the edible gifts I’m going to make for my friends and family. I can see the jams and preserves all jarred up. I can smell the roasted nuts and spiced, star-shaped biscuits tied up with a smart ribbon. Every year, truth be told, I never quite get around to it. Time runs out, plan B kicks in and I hastily head for the shops. This year, however, is not every year, as no one needs reminding, so, for once, we might have enough time on our hands to make and bake for those we love. We might not be able to choose whom we’re spending Christmas with, or even where we’ll be, but lists can still be made, plans can be hatched … and gifts can still be made.

Festive chilli oil (pictured above)

This chilli oil is spiced with the festive flavours of cinnamon, star anise and cloves. Drizzle it over everything from noodles to ricotta-topped toast. If you’re making a double or triple batch, be sure to use a big pan with a large surface area, because the chilli mixture needs to fry in a single layer. This keeps in a sealed jar at room temperature for three weeks.

Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Makes 1 x 220g jar

6-7 medium red chillies, roughly chopped (100g)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped (30g)
15g piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
12 cloves, roughly crushed
Salt and black pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
, roughly broken
3 star anise
200ml olive oil
1 tsp chipotle flakes
1 tbsp red bell pepper flakes
2 tsp sugar

Put the first four ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor with a teaspoon and a quarter of salt and plenty of black pepper. Pulse until very finely chopped, scraping down the sides as you go. (If you don’t have a small food processor, very finely chop everything by hand instead.)

Put the chilli mix and 100ml oil in a medium, non-stick frying pan on a medium-low heat, add the cinnamon and star anise, and cook gently for 30 minutes. The oil should bubble only very gently – you don’t want to deep-fry the chillies or garlic, or for them to get at all browned, so turn down the heat if need be.

Stir in the chipotle and pepper flakes, sugar and the remaining oil, cook on a low heat for three minutes, then turn off the heat and leave to cool completely. Transfer to a clean, sterilised jar, seal and store.

Miso caramels

From chilli oil to tahini thins: Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes for edible Christmas gifts (1)

Traditional sweet shop caramels get dialled up here with the umami-rich miso. And once you’ve tried a couple, there is just a chance that these won’t get given away at all. These will keep for up to a week at room temperature and up to a fortnight in the fridge.

Prep 5 min
Cook 50 min
Makes About 42

200g caster sugar
200g soft light brown sugar
480g whipping cream
70g unsalted butter
100g honey
65g white miso
¼ tsp flaked salt
, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Grease and line a 20cm square tin, making sure the greaseproof paper has a healthy overhang.

Put the two sugars, cream, butter and honey in a medium saucepan, stir with a whisk to combine, then cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, until the sugars and butter have melted.

Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, for 35 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the miso, salt and vanilla, then pour into the prepared tin and put in the fridge to cool and set.

Once set, cut into 42 squares. Cut out suitably sized squares of greaseproof paper and use these to wrap the caramels, twisting both ends, like a bonbon wrapping. Store in an airtight container.

Tahini and nori thins

From chilli oil to tahini thins: Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes for edible Christmas gifts (2)

These will make a very welcome addition to any cheeseboard and are also great with dips. They can be made with gluten-free flour, if need be, and feel free to swap the seeds and spices for any you have to hand. They will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

Prep 5 min
Chill 10 min
Bake 13 min
Makes 300g

2 large eggs
100g tahini
180g plain flour
Salt and black pepper
, plus flaked salt to finish
1½ tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp chilli flakes
1½ tbsp nori flakes

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the tahini, flour, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, and whisk to combine. With your hands, bring the mix together into a sticky dough.

Put the sesame seeds, nori and chilli flakes into a second, small bowl.

Divide the dough in three. Put one piece of dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper, then roll it out with a rolling pin until it’s 5mm thick. Peel off the top sheet of paper, then sprinkle all over with a third of the sesame seed mixture. Replace the paper and roll out the dough again, this time to 1mm thick, in doing so firmly pressing the sesame seeds, chillies and nori flakes into the dough.

Discard the top sheet of paper, then slide the dough, still on its greaseproof paper base, on to a large baking tray. Repeat with the remaining two pieces of dough and sesame mix, so you end up with three trays. Using a knife, cut the dough into squares or diamonds, then refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5, then bake the thins for 13-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and, while they’re still hot, sprinkle all over with a little flaked salt. Leave on the tray to cool completely before storing or packing into an airtight container.

From chilli oil to tahini thins: Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes for edible Christmas gifts (2024)

FAQs

How rich is Ottolenghi? ›

Key Financials
Accounts20192021
Cash£1,336,712.00£1,688,812.00
Net Worth£1,543,770.00£2,583,579.00
Total Current Assets£1,938,410.00£3,162,953.00
Total Current Liabilities£406,652.00£612,500.00

Does Ottolenghi eat meat? ›

If anything, Mr. Ottolenghi — tall and dapper, with salt-and-pepper hair, half-rim glasses and a penchant for pink-striped button-downs and black sneakers — should be a vegetarian pinup. But here's the rub: he eats meat. Apparently this is enough to discredit him in the eyes of the most devout abstainers.

What is Ottolenghi food? ›

From this, Ottolenghi has developed a style of food which is rooted in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean traditions, but which also draws in diverse influences and ingredients from around the world.

Where does Ottolenghi live? ›

Ottolenghi met his partner Karl Allen in 2000; they married in 2012 and live in Camden, London, with their two sons, born in 2013 and 2015.

Is Ottolenghi a Michelin star? ›

So far, his books have sold 5 million copies, and Ottolenghi - although he has never even been awarded a Michelin star and without being considered a great chef - has successfully blended Israeli, Iranian, Turkish, French and, of course, Italian influences to create a genre that is (not overly) elegant, international, ...

What does Ottolenghi's husband do? ›

Ottolenghi entertains every second weekend at the London home he shares with his Northern Irish husband Karl Allen, a law graduate and former British Airways flight attendant, and a collector of vintage 1950s antiques, and their two sons.

Does Ottolenghi eat pork? ›

He said: "I grew up in a non-traditional Jewish home, very secular. Food-wise, we had pork which was unheard of.

Why is Ottolenghi famous? ›

Yotam Ottolenghi is a famous Israeli born British chef who is well known for his group of delis, as well as cookbooks and TV appearances.

Is it a sin to eat meat in Islam? ›

The dietary laws in Islam nowhere mention that a Muslim can't be a vegetarian or he must eat meat. Humans have flat as well as pointed teeth suited for both carnivorous and herbivorous diets. God gave us both sets so we could have both kinds of food according to the dietary laws in Islam.

Are Ottolenghi recipes difficult? ›

We cook a fair amount of Ottolenghi recipes at home, because he's one of the regular food writers in our regular newspaper (The Guardian). They are usually fairly simple recipes that focus on a good combination of flavours - even as home cooks, they're not nearly the most complicated things we make.

Who is the CEO of Ottolenghi? ›

Emilio Foa, who was previously CEO of furniture retailer OKA and former CFO of fashion brand Burberry, became the first CEO of Ottolenghi Group in April. The move, Foa claims, allows Ottolenghi to focus on the creative side of the business, while he works on operational logistics, brand growth and marketing strategy.

How many recipes are in Ottolenghi Simple? ›

This New York Times bestselling collection of 130 easy, flavor-forward recipes from beloved chef Yotam Ottolenghi.

What is the Ottolenghi effect? ›

His commitment to the championing of vegetables, as well as ingredients once seen as 'exotic', has led to what some call 'The Ottolenghi effect'. This is shorthand for the creation of a meal which is full of color, flavor, bounty, and surprise.

Where is the original Ottolenghi restaurant? ›

If possible, try to make it to Ottolenghi's original location in Islington. Not only Islington is one of the most charming London neighborhoods (especially the main core centered around St.

How many cookbooks does Ottolenghi have? ›

find Yotam on

He has co-authored and published eight cookbooks, including Plenty and Jerusalem, SIMPLE , FLAVOUR , and his latest, Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love. Ottolenghi is also a weekly columist for The Guardian.

Who is the richest culinary? ›

Who is the richest celebrity chef in the world 2024? Top 11 wealthiest - Gordon Ramsay net worth
  1. The world's richest celebrity chef is Scotland's Gordon Ramsay. As well owning a string of restaurants, Ramsay is a reality television star known for his fiery temper. ...
  2. Jamie Oliver. ...
  3. Nobu Matsuhisa. ...
  4. Wolfgang Puck.
Mar 5, 2024

Is Ottolenghi vegan? ›

The guy's an omnivore but his recipes are overwhelmingly vegetarian and vegan. His vegetarian (not vegan) cookbook Plenty< spent years near the top of Britain's bestseller lists.

How many books has Ottolenghi sold? ›

His books have sold over 1.5 million copies in North America and 5 million worldwide. His next book, written with co-authors Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller, and Tara Wigley, will be Ottolenghi Comfort (Ten Speed Press, October 8, 2024).

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