Carrot Borani, Cheese Shards & Muhammara

This recipe is complicated and I questioned including it in the book, but I decided that every dinner table should be graced by a vegetable-led dish that will blow everyone away. No doubt, this is that dish. As there are a lot of elements to this recipe, you may wish to split up the work over a few days and then just reheat to serve at the temperatures recommended. If you are a barbecue enthusiast, you could smoke the aubergines (eggplants) over wood for an extra dimension of flavour.

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Step 1

Prepare the honey and shallot dressing, the muhammara, the salt and pepper walnuts and the vegetable glaze.

Step 2

To make the carrot borani, place a large pan over a high heat. Add the carrots with a splash of olive oil and pinch of fine salt and cook, stirring regularly, for 8–10 minutes or until they are soft but left with a little bite.

Step 3

They shouldn’t take on any colour. Once almost cooked, move the carrots to one side of the pan, pour in a drizzle more olive oil and add the garlic.

Step 4

Cook for 1 minute, then take off the heat. Add the sultanas immediately and stir. Leave to cool and, once at room temperature, stir in the yoghurt and season to taste.

Step 5

Bring the vegetable glaze up to the boil and add the 4 whole carrots. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cook on one side for 5–7 minutes, then turn over and repeat. The carrots should be just soft enough that when you insert a skewer or tip of a knife it comes out easily, and the glaze should be syrup-like and golden. If the glaze is too sticky before the carrots are cooked, add a splash of water, or if the glaze doesn’t look syrupy enough, remove the carrots and reduce further. Keep warm.

Step 6

Optional step: I like to char the carrots over a smoky fire or in a hot griddle pan, cut into pieces and place back into the glaze.

Step 7

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Place the aubergines (eggplants) on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes–1 hour or until they are very soft (keep the oven on for the cheese shards). Once they’re cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scrape out the flesh.

Step 8

Chop roughly and place into a sieve to drain any excess moisture. Place into a pan with the other purée ingredients and some fine salt. Gently bring up to the boil, then immediately take off the heat and pour into a high-speed blender. Blitz to as fine a purée as you can, adjust the seasoning to taste.

Step 9

Keep warm.

Step 10

Line a large baking sheet, big enough to allow the filo (phyllo) sheets to sit completely flat, with baking paper. Brush the paper with a little of the melted butter and lay a filo sheet on top. Brush more butter on top. Take one-third of the cheese and distribute across the filo evenly in one thin layer, followed by a third of the nigella seeds, if using. Lay another sheet of filo on top, pressing down firmly. Brush the top with butter. Add another third of cheese and nigella across the filo, again in an even layer. Place another layer of filo on top and brush with butter. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and nigella evenly and place the final layer of filo on top with a final brush of butter.

Step 11

Place another sheet of baking paper on top and an identical baking sheet on top of that. Push down firmly. Remove the baking sheet and cut filo sandwiches through the paper into whichever shapes you like. (I like to cut rectangles.) Put the baking sheet back on top, then place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, checking halfway through. The shards should be golden brown and crisp. Take out of the oven, remove the top tray and baking paper and allow them to completely cool.

Step 12

Place the chicory (endive) and radicchio into a bowl along with the walnuts, thinly sliced carrots and chives. Season with sea salt flakes (kosher salt) and coat with the honey dressing.

Step 13

To serve, spread a Tbsp of muhammara on one side of the plates using the back of a spoon. Place the salad leaves on top. In the centre, place a glazed carrot. Between 2 cheese shards smear enough carrot borani so it is roughly 1cm (½in) thick. Place the cheese sandwich to the right of the carrot. Finish with a dollop of aubergine purée and 3–4 carrot top fronds.

Step 14

Ideas & Inspirations + Tulum is a Turkish crumbly cheese. If you can’t find it in Middle Eastern supermarkets, you could use a hard cheese such as parmesan, finely grated.

Step 15

+ The borani itself would make a great sharing dip, or you could sandwich it between the cheese shards for a very impressive canapé.

Step 16

+ The muhammara and aubergine purée would make delicious bruschetta.

Step 17

Finish with crumbled cheese and herbs over the top.

Step 18

his is a traditional component of a Turkish spread or meze but originally hails from Syria. Most recipes will include roasted red (bell) peppers but I prefer without. I love it on toast with a sprinkling of chives and Maldon salt, or in a sandwich with grilled halloumi. Turkish pepper paste is available to buy online and in Middle Eastern supermarkets.

Step 19

Makes 300g (10½oz) VG

Step 20

Once the walnuts have cooled from toasting, place them into a food processor and blitz to a coarse crumb. Place into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Season to taste using fine salt. Store in a container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Step 21

Vegetable Glaze One of the first vegetable dishes I was taught at cooking college was Vichy carrots: essentially, glazed carrots. In this classic cooking method, you cook the carrots in water, butter and sugar, and sometimes a bit of spice, reducing the liquid down to a syrup to coat them in. It is a delicious and simple way of cooking vegetables, but I like adding in an extra step by grilling the vegetables after cooking them and then putting them back into the glaze.

Step 22

This adds an extra level of smokiness. Try this glaze with Jerusalem artichokes, celeriac (celery root), onions, turnips, pumpkin or cabbage.

Step 23

The volumes here might sound like a lot, but by the time you’ve cooked your vegetables, the glaze will reduce down again by another half, and you can reuse it. It will store happily in the fridge for 6 weeks, just top it up with a little more water and reduce back down when you next cook.

Step 24

Makes 1L (35fl oz) V

Step 25

Place all the ingredients into a pan and gently bring up to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 26

The liquor is now ready to use to cook your vegetables. Once your vegetables are cooked, reduce the liquor down to a syrup consistency and pour over the vegetables.

Step 27

This is a great way to add seasoning and sweetness to nuts, and the end product is a bit like those amazing bar snacks you have in posh hotels. Use any nuts you would like. You can add spices like paprika, cumin, fennel, turmeric or coriander, and seeds like nigella or sesame. This is great for a crunchy texture in salads, or as garnish for buffalo mozzarella or a slab of feta along with a zingy dressing.

Step 28

Serves 6–8 V

Step 29

Heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/325°F/gas mark 3.

Step 30

Whisk the egg white until a little frothy and then whisk in the icing (powdered) sugar, salt and pepper. Coat the walnuts in this mix and then scatter over a baking sheet lined with baking paper in one even layer.

Step 31

Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until the nuts are golden and crisp.

Step 32

Dressings with honey can sometimes be overpoweringly sweet, but I think this version is well-balanced. The moscatel vinegar brings its own acidic sweetness, while shallot and thyme counter with savoury flavour. Take the time to try and dice the shallot as small as you can so it isn’t too intrusive.

Step 33

If you are after an easy yet impressive dressing for a side salad, then this is my pick.

Step 34

Makes 240ml (8fl oz) V

Step 35

Whisk all the ingredients together or place in a jar and shake. Season to taste with salt