Hot Tomato and Cold Yoghurt from Ottolenghi’s Simple
It’s not wonder it’s everyone’s fave dish considering how simple it is, but I bet I can make it simpler for you…
Ingredients
1-2 punnets of cherry tomatoes or 2 handfuls of heirloom or vine ripened cherry tomatoes
olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ tsp light brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely sliced
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
6 sprigs of fresh oregano
1/2 lemon (juice and zest reserved)
half a handful of fresh herbs from your garden (I have tried most fresh green herbs in this and everything works!)
Flaked sea salt and black pepper
350g cold Greek yoghurt
1 tsp chilli flakes (or fresh chilli for those who like it hot!)
Method
Heat the oven to 200C
Put the tomatoes in an oven proof baking dish or cast iron pan.
Add the oil, cumin, sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano sprigs, extra delicious herbs, a pinch of flaky salt and some ground pepper. Mix and slosh everything around so it’s all lovely and combined.
Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistering and starting to pop and ooze. Then turn your oven to the grill setting with the tom’s still in there so they can start to blacken on top. Keep an eye on this so they don’t burn!
While the tomatoes are roasting, mix the yoghurt with the grated lemon zest and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, then return to the fridge.
Once the tomatoes are ready, spread out the chilled yoghurt on a platter (with a lip) or wide shallow bowl, and make a few dips in it here and there with the back of a spoon. Spoon the hot tomatoes on top, as well as the pan juices, lemon peel, garlic and herbs, and finish with the remaining oregano and chilli. Serve at once with some good crusty bread.