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1. Half fill a pan with water and add the vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, star anise, caster sugar and orange peel. Bring up to the boil and allow the sugar to dissolve before lowering the heat and adding the pears. Simmer gently for 15 minutes until the pear is tender. Remove from the heat and leave the pears to cool in the poaching liquid.
2. To make the salted caramel sauce start by melting the sugar in a pan. Gently melt in the pan and swirl around but avoid vigorous stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved and it has gone a deep golden-brown colour. Then immediately take off the heat and add the butter and half of the cream – it will bubble a lot – whisk this in before adding the remaining cream and a generous pinch of Maldon Sea Salt, whisking to a smooth caramel sauce.
3. Serve the pears with some crème fraiche, the salted caramel sauce and some toasted almonds.

1. Rim the small rocks glass with a lime wedge and dip it in the Maldon Chilli Sea Salt.
2. Add the ingredients to the cocktail shaker in the order listed.
3. Add cubed ice to shaker and the rock glass.
4. Strain cocktail into glass.
5. Sip slowly and enjoy!

1. Take the rock glass and fill with cubed ice.
2. Build drink in glass in the same order as the ingredients listed.
3. Stir briefly.
4. Take a chocolate shard and sprinkle with Maldon Smoked Sea Salt.
5. Add chocolate shard on the edge of the glass.
6. Sip slowly and enjoy!

Yotam Ottolenghi returns with Ottolenghi COMFORT, his much-anticipated new book that brings warmth, nostalgia and bold flavours to the heart of comfort cooking. Known for his vibrant, flavour-forward approach, Ottolenghi reimagines classic dishes with a twist, offering over 100 irresistible recipes that evoke a sense of home. Each dish is a celebration of the connections food fosters, whether through family traditions, childhood memories, or the influencer of travels near and far.

In Ottolenghi COMFORT, Yotam blends his rich culinary heritage with modern inspiration, weaving together personal stories and the joy of sharing food with loved ones. As the chef-patron of seven Ottolenghi delis and renowned restaurants NOPI and ROVI, Yotam has spent years honouring his craft, creating recipes that resonate with cooks around the world.

This new collection is not just about food – it’s about the experiences and memories we pass down from generation to generation. With eight bestselling cookbooks to his name and over thirteen years as a columnist for The Guardian, Ottolenghi continues to inspire with recipes that celebrate the essence of home.

In Conversation with Yotam Ottolenghi…

Yotam, we’re BIG fans of your latest cookbook, Ottolenghi COMFORT. You focus on the theme of comfort cooking – how did your own experiences and memories shape the recipes in this book?

My own experiences and memories definitely shaped a lot of this book, as well as those of my fellow co-authors, Helen, Verena and Tara. Between us, there is a fair bit of global ground. Helen’s stretches from China to Malaysia to Melbourne to West London. Verena’s takes in Germany and Scotland, to New York. Tara was born in Khartoum, grew up in London, spent a year eating tapas in Barcelona and three years in Sarajevo, And for me, my parents are Italian and German, and then I’ve lived in Jerusalem, Amsterdam and now of course London. We always knew we wanted to do something ‘cosy’: about the food we eat at home. Before it was ‘COMFORT’ – we tried out ‘HOME’ and ‘FAMILY’. COMFORT manages to be about both these things but it’s somehow universal in a way that’s unique.

Food is deeply connected to memory and family traditions. Is there one recipe in particular in Ottolenghi COMFORT that reminds you of your childhood?

The chicken meatballs with potatoes and lemon is one recipe that really stands out from my childhood. It’s a recipe that takes me back to my home and reminds me of my both parents, who both cooked a lot when I was growing up. Meatballs were always there, one way or another.

As someone with such a busy career in restaurants and writing, how do you personally define “comfort” when it comes to your own cooking and eating habits?

Comfort not only means different things to different people; it means different things to the same person, depending on the season, the setting, the reason for a meal. It’s about the time of year, the season, the company. To me, comfort food now is quick and something my kids will love too! My go to is a quick toastie toasties that I fry in a pan, with whatever cheese is around, plus a pickle or ferment. Cheddar and feta, for example, with sliced gherkin, or comte with kimchi. A good smear of butter, mayo or mustard (or all of them) as well.

How has your approach to cooking evolved over the years, and how is that reflected in Ottolenghi COMFORT compared to your earlier books?

Spending time with my family is the most important thing to me, so when I’m cooking at home, I want something that is of course always delicious, but gives me time to spend with them. I think Ottolenghi COMFORT shows this – the recipes are maybe a little simpler, can easily be done, and rely on a lot of ingredients that you will already have lying around or can be used across lots of the recipes in the book.

What does a typical day in the life look like for you, Yotam?

A typical day is still quite varied, but often starts with a proper breakfast at home and the school run. I then will head into the Test Kitchen in Holloway and I love to see all the creativity and ideas that all the chefs have there. I often taste some of the recipes being developed, and we work through little changes and adaptions to really make a dish an Ottolenghi dish. Sometimes I will do some filming at the kitchen, other days I might have some writing to do for my columns in the Guardian or the New York Times, and then other days I visit a deli or restaurant. I love to see what customers are choosing and what is really resonating with people eating with us on a daily basis. At the end of the day, I get home and make some dinner for us all. It’s really important to me to be able to sit down as a family and have dinner, like I did as a child with my family.

Do you have a favourite cookbook that you’re reading at the moment?

I really am loving SIFT by Nicola Lamb at the moment. I started out as a pastry chef and my inner pastry buff couldn’t help but tuck in. It is the ultimate baking guide, but Nicola really makes it so accessible.  The first half of the book dives into the theory and science of baking, breaking down complex ideas into easy-to-understand diagrams. The second half is a treasure chest of recipes. It has without doubt made my 2024 all the more delicious!

Name three things in the kitchen you can’t live without!

I am loving dukkah at the moment – it is a seed and nut mix from Egypt. Everyone has their own spin — the one I like to make has a gentle smokiness, a touch of citrus and a satisfying crunch. It’s the perfect go-to finishing touch.

For my toasties, I always have to have some cheese lying around that I can turn to when in need.

And then finally, always having some kimchi in the fridge. Again, just perfect to add to so many things to give it a little more flavour – rice, toasties, stews, pancakes, sometimes just out the jar!

German-Style Sausage Roll Recipe

If you want to spot a ‘Verena recipe’, the inclusion of butter and pastry are often clues, as is the use of mustard. These are no exception: inspired by everything she associates with German sausages – the spices in bratwurst, for example, the mustard dipping sauce, the pretzels – and a celebration of all the wonderful things that can be wrapped up in all-butter puff pastry.

Getting ahead: These can be made a day ahead of baking and kept in the fridge (or further ahead, if baking from frozen).

Serves: 6 people

Ingredients:

• ¼ tsp white peppercorns
• ¼ tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1¼ tsp dried marjoram (or thyme)
• ¾ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground mace (or nutmeg)
• ½ tsp English mustard powder 50g salted pretzels, roughly crushed
• 60ml milk
• 1 egg, beaten, ½ tablespoon reserved for brushing
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 30g unsalted butter
• 2 onions, chopped into roughly 1cm dice (325g)
• 2 tsp dark soft brown sugar
• 350g good-quality pork sausage meat (or start with pork sausages, and remove the casing)
• 15g chives, finely chopped
• 1 pack of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry (320g)
• flour, for dusting
• Maldon Sea Salt flakes
• Honey mustard dipping sauce:
• 3 tbsp yellow mustard (we like French’s)
• 1½ tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 15g chives, finely chopped

Method:

1. Put the peppercorns, coriander seeds and 1 teaspoon of the caraway seeds into a medium sauté pan and place on a medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant, then transfer to a spice grinder (or a pestle and mortar). Blitz to form a semi-fine powder, then add the remaining spices, along with the mustard powder and ¾ teaspoon of Maldon Sea Salt. Set aside.
2. Combine the pretzels, milk and egg in a bowl and set aside to soften.
3. Add the oil and butter to the same sauté pan and place on a medium-high heat. Add the onions, along with ¼ teaspoon of Maldon Sea Salt, and cook  for 15 minutes, stirring often, until softened and starting to caramelise. Add the sugar and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until fully caramelised. Set aside to cool.
4. Add the sausage meat to the bowl containing the pretzel mixture, along with the chives, spices and cooked onions. Mix well to combine.
5. Mix together all the ingredients for the dipping sauce and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
6. Unroll the puff pastry and place on a lightly floured work surface. Slice it in half, lengthways, to form two long, wide strips, about 11½cm x 38cm. Arrange half the sausage meat in a long log shape down the middle of one of the pastry strips, then lift one edge of the pastry over the meat. Brush the remaining free edge with some of the reserved egg, then lift and slightly pull it up and over the pastry, overlapping a little to ensure that it sticks. Repeat with the remaining pastry and sausage meat, then roll each log over so that the seams are both underneath. Brush all over with egg wash, sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of caraway seeds, then lightly score the top of each log, each cut about 2cm apart. Arrange the logs on a large parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 32–35 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes before cutting into 12 portions. Serve warm, or at room temperature, with the dipping sauce alongside.

Where to buy ‘Ottolenghi COMFORT’?

You can find where to purchase Yotam’s NEW cookbook here and start being creative with food and flavours in the comfort of your kitchen.

Make sure you have your Maldon Salt ready for these recipes! If you are running out, please feel free to browse on our Where to Buy Page to find your nearest store in which stocks our beloved Maldon Salt.

Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your own take on Yotam’s recipes!

1. In a cocktail shaker combine all ingredients and stir the mixture thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are well-blended.
2. Transfer the mix into a soda stream bottle, filling it only one-third full to avoid excessive pressure build-up
3. Ensure the liquid is very cold before carbonating (refrigerate for several hours or use an ice bath).
4. Use the soda stream to carbonate the mixture, as per your machine’s instructions.
5. Pour 125 ml of the carbonated Pyramid Paloma mix into a coupe glass.
6. Float a fresh basil leaf on top of the drink.
7. Sprinkle Maldon Garlic Sea Salt onto the basil leaf for a salty and aromatic garnish.

1. To prepare the verdita: In a blender, mix fresh pineapple juice, ginger juice, simple syrup, and Bittermens Xocolatl Mole, and blend until smooth.
2. Add mint leaves and coriander, then blend.
3. Strain to remove any pulp.
4. Take a rocks glass and run a lime wedge along the rim.
5. Dip the rim into Maldon Chilli Sea Salt and coat it evenly.
6. In a cocktail shaker, add 50 ml of gin, 50 ml verdita, 25 ml fresh lime juice and a dash of chili bitters (optional).
7. Add ice cubes and shake vigorously.
8. Strain the mixture into the prepared rocks glass filled with cubed ice.

1. Preheat the oven 160C.
2. Peel the pears and slice them, add them to add with 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp lemon juice, mix and keep aside.
3. In another bowl add the blueberries, rest of the lemon juice and 2 tsp of caster sugar, mix and keep aside.
4. Rub the butter all over the tin, place the baking sheet into the bottom of the tin.
5. In a bowl add the butter, sugar and vanilla extract, cream them until smooth. Add eggs and whisk again until it creamy. Add ricotta and half teaspoon of Maldon Sea Salt and combine it well. Sieve flour, baking powder and fennel powder into the batter, mix it well with the hand blender.
6. Once the mixture come together, add the blueberries and mix it until the batter is all combined.
7. Pour the mixture into the tin, then layer the top of the batter with pears coated in turmeric into a round circle covering the batter. Sprinkle with demerara sugar, put in the oven and cook for 55minutes in the oven on 170C. Switch the oven and leave the cake to rest for 10 minutes in the oven. Remove after 10 minutes, sprinkle rest of the Maldon Sea Salt over the baked cake while it is still warm.
8. Enjoy with cream or on its own.