Welcome to the feast: exclusive recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi's new book

Cauliflower cake

Cauliflower cheese sounds to me like the most indulgent of dishes, but to an alumnus of the British school system, it's a stomach-turning echo of soft florets in a puddle of cheesy water. So I need to work extra hard to convince readers that it's something they might want to eat. Well, I've got a winner here. Serve as a light supper with a salad of sliced cucumber, dill and mint, dressed with a little sugar, cider vinegar and rapeseed oil. Wrapped, it will taste even better the next day. Serves four to six.

1 small cauliflower, outer leaves removed, broken into 3cm florets
Salt and black pepper
1 medium red onion, peeled
75ml olive oil
½ tsp finely chopped rosemary
7 eggs
15g basil, chopped
120g plain flour, sifted
1½ tsp baking powder
⅓ tsp ground turmeric
150g coarsely grated parmesan (or another mature cheese)
Melted butter, to grease the tin
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds

Heat the oven to 200C/390C/gas mark 4. Put the cauliflower in a saucepan and add a teaspoon of salt. Cover with water, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until the florets are quite soft: they should break when pressed with a spoon. Strain and leave in a colander to dry.

Yotam Ottolenghi's cauliflower cake recipe: 'a winner'. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

Cut four round 0.5cm slices off one end of the onion and set aside. Coarsely chop the rest of the onion, and put in a small pan with the oil and rosemary. Cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat, stirring from time to time, until soft, then set aside to cool. Transfer the cooked onion to a large bowl, add the eggs and basil, whisk, then add the flour, baking powder, turmeric, cheese, a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Whisk until smooth, then add the cauliflower and stir gently, trying not to break up all the florets.

Line the base and sides of a 24cm springform cake tin with baking parchment, and brush the sides with melted butter. Mix together the sesame and nigella seeds and toss them around the inside of the tin, so they stick to the sides. Tip in the cauliflower mix and arrange the reserved onion rings on top.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes, until golden-brown and set: a knife inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. Remove from the oven and leave for at least 20 minutes before serving: it needs to be served just warm, or at room temperature, rather than hot.

Mushroom and tarragon pithivier

Yotam Ottolenghi's mushroom and tarragon pithivier recipe: 'wonderfully rich and aniseedy'. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

Many people refuse to believe that I got my basic training at Le Cordon Bleu cookery school, because there is nothing French about my cooking; in fact, I often describe it as anti-French, or at least anti-classical French. This is probably because I am not too big on stocks, I don't do brunoise, and I use less meat and more vegetables in my cooking. Still, I don't want to undermine anything I learned at that legendary institution; it gave me all the basic tools I needed for a career in food. I particularly remember my thrill at making a pithivier (a sweet one with almond cream), using my own puff pastry. It was the first professional-looking thing I made, and I was so proud. This savoury version is wonderfully rich and aniseedy, and needs only a sharp leafy salad alongside. Serves six generously.

300ml vegetable stock
50g dried porcini
3 tbsp olive oil
45g unsalted butter
400g small shallots, peeled and left whole
200g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
150g shiitake mushrooms, halved
150g oyster mushrooms, quartered
150g buna-shimeji mushrooms, separated into clusters
Salt and black pepper
200g creme fraiche
2 tbsp ouzo or Pernod
15g tarragon, chopped
15g parsley, chopped
900g all-butter puff pastry
Plain flour, for dusting
1 egg, beaten

Bring the stock to a simmer and add the porcini. Remove from the heat and set aside to soften. Put a tablespoon of oil and a third of the butter in a large, heavy-based saute pan. Add the shallots and cook on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the shallots have softened and coloured. Transfer to a bowl.

Add another tablespoon of oil and half the remaining butter to the pan. Keeping the pan on a medium-high heat, add the chestnut and shiitake mushrooms, and leave for a minute without stirring. Stir, cook for two minutes, then add to the shallots.

Put the remaining oil and butter in the pan and repeat with the remaining mushrooms. Return the shallots and cooked mushrooms to the pan, with the stock, porcini, three-quarters of teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Simmer vigorously for eight minutes, until the stock has reduced by two-thirds. Turn the heat to low, add the crème fraiche and cook for eight minutes. When just a small amount of sauce is left – two to three tablespoons – add the ouzo, tarragon and parsley. Cook for a minute more, then transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.

Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Divide the pastry into two blocks and roll each out on a floured surface to a 3mm-thick square. Put the pastry squares in the fridge for 20 minutes, to rest, then cut one into a 28cm-diameter circle and the other into a 30cm one. Rest in the fridge again for at least 10 minutes.

Put the smaller circle on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Spread the mushroom filling on top, leaving a 2cm border clear around the edge. Brush the edge with egg, lay the larger pastry circle on top and seal together the edges. Use the prongs of a fork to make decorative parallel lines around the edge, then brush the pie with egg. Use the blunt side of a small knife to draw circular lines, running from the centre of the pie to the edge; make sure you only score the pastry without cutting through it.

Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden on top and cooked on the bottom. Remove, leave to rest for at least 10 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Baked orzo with mozzarella and oregano

Yotam Ottolenghi's baked orzo recipe: 'a proud, sophisticated and luxurious take on pasta bake'. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

Even the most standard of pasta bakes will always hold a place in my heart, because they remind me of my father's cooking. This is no sentimental journey, though; it's a proud, sophisticated and luxurious take on the bake. People can be a bit sniffy about the firm, low-moisture mozzarella that's sold in blocks. If eaten by itself, it's a very different beast from buffalo, yes, but it works brilliantly for grating or finely dicing in a dish such as this. Serves four.

100ml olive oil
1 large aubergine, cut into 2cm dice
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1.5cm dice
4 celery stalks, cut into 1.5cm dice
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
250g orzo pasta, rinsed
1 tsp tomato puree
380ml vegetable stock
3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1½ tbsp thyme leaves)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
120g hard mozzarella, cut into 1cm dice
40g parmesan, grated
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1cm-thick slices

Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Heat the oil in a large saute pan and add the aubergine. Cook for eight minutes on a medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to kitchen paper. Add the carrot and celery to the pan, fry for eight minutes, then transfer to kitchen paper. Turn down the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Cook for five minutes, stirring often, then add the orzo and tomato puree, and cook for two minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the stock, fresh oregano and lemon zest. Add the cooked vegetables, mozzarella, parmesan, a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper. Mix well and transfer to a rectangular ovenproof dish, 21cm x 27cm (or a round 27cm diameter one). Arrange the tomatoes on top and sprinkle with the dried oregano, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a grind of pepper.

Bake for 40 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is cooked. Remove, leave to settle for five minutes and serve.

Thai red lentil soup with aromatic chilli oil

Yotam Ottolenghi's thai red lentil soup recipe: 'the first thing I make when autumn officially arrives'. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

Fresh, creamy and loaded with flavour, this is the first thing I make when autumn officially arrives. If you prefer your soup totally smooth, forget the sugar snaps. Thanks to the brilliant Leith's Vegetarian Cookery for the chilli oil recipe: it makes more than you need for the soup, but keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a month; use on other soups, salads or grilled dishes. You can also do without the oil, and use a good savoury chilli sauce instead. Serves four.

120g sugar snap peas
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1½ tbsp vegetarian red curry paste
2 lemongrass stalks, gently bashed with a rolling pin
4 fresh (or 12 dried) kaffir lime leaves
250g red lentils
250ml coconut milk
1½ tbsp lime juice
1½ tbsp soy sauce
Salt
15g coriander leaves, chopped

For the chilli oil
180ml sunflower oil
1 banana shallot, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 tsp peeled, chopped root ginger
½ red chilli, roughly chopped
½ star anise
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp tomato puree
Grated zest of ½ small lemon

Start with the chilli oil. Heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil in a small saucepan, add the shallot, garlic, ginger, chilli, star anise and curry powder, and fry over a low heat for five minutes, stirring from time to time, until the shallot is soft. Add the tomato puree and cook gently for two minutes. Stir in the remaining oil and the lemon zest, and simmer very gently for 30 minutes. Leave to cool, then strain through a muslin-lined sieve.

For the soup, bring a small pan of water to a boil and add the sugar snap peas. Cook for 90 seconds, drain, refresh under cold water and set aside to dry. Once cool, cut at an angle into long, 2mm-thick slices.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large pot and add the onion. Cook, covered, on a low heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until completely soft. Stir in the curry paste and cook for a minute. Add the lemongrass stalks, lime leaves, red lentils and 700ml of water, bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until the lentils are completely soft.

Remove the soup from the heat, take out and discard the lemongrass and lime leaves, then blend the soup until it is completely smooth. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce and half a teaspoon of salt, and stir. Return the soup to the stove on a medium heat and, once it's almost boiling, ladle into bowls. Scatter the sugar snaps on top, sprinkle over the coriander and finish with half a teaspoon of chilli oil drizzled over each portion.

Sweet-and-sour leeks with goat's curd and currants

Yotam Ottolenghi's sweet-and-sour leeks recipe: 'an elegant starter'. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

I have done it before, and I am doing it again: namely, putting leek right in the centre of a substantial stand-alone dish. This is not trivial for a vegetable that is normally given the side job of flavouring other things, such as stocks and soups. I find the creaminess of leeks and their sweet, oniony flavour very satisfying. This dish, with its jewel-like currants, makes an elegant starter. Use long, relatively thin leeks, if you can find them; otherwise, use four large ones. Serves four.

8 small leeks (or four large ones), green parts discarded
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
200ml dry white wine
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
20g currants
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp sunflower oil
100g goat's curd (or a creamy goat's cheese)
1 tbsp chervil leaves (or parsley)
Salt and black pepper

Cut the leeks widthways in two, each about 10cm long (if using larger leeks, cut into four 10cm-long pieces), wash well, then lay on the base of a large shallow pan and add the bay, garlic, wine, olive oil and about 250ml of water, so the leeks are half covered in liquid. Add three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper, place on a medium heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes, until a knife can be inserted into the leeks without any resistance; turn the leeks over once or twice during cooking, so they cook evenly.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the leeks to a plate and set aside. Strain the cooking liquid into a small pan and on a high heat reduce until just three tablespoons remain – between 12 and 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the onion, currants, vinegar, sugar, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and some black pepper, then set aside to soften and marinate.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan on a medium–high heat. Carefully add the leeks and fry for two minutes on each side, until lightly golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.

To serve, divide the leeks between four plates, dot with the cheese, spoon over the onion and currant dressing, and finish with the chervil.

Crespéou

Yotam Ottolenghi's crespéou recipe: 'this savoury cake is absolutely delicious and makes a perfect picnic dish'. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

If I was going to sum up my cooking style in five words, 70s-style retro-picnic bling would not be the phrase. And if there is one recipe that might make me cringe in the years to come, it will, for sure, be this one. Still, I'm keeping my head held high enough to peer over the top of this savoury cake, which is, I will have you know, absolutely delicious and makes a perfect picnic dish. Serves six.

15 eggs, lightly beaten
200g feta, crumbled
80ml double cream
2 tsp olive oil
salt and black pepper

For the red mix
60ml olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp tomato puree
2 large red peppers, cut into 0.5cm strips
¾ tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp caster sugar

For the yellow mix
60ml olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp ground turmeric
For the green mix
4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
25g basil leaves, shredded
15g tarragon, finely chopped
¾ tsp ground cumin
1 green chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

Mix the eggs, feta and cream in a bowl, and set aside. Start with the red mix. Put the oil in a nonstick saute pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 10 minutes, until soft. Add the tomato puree, peppers, coriander, sugar, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and some black pepper, and cook for five to seven minutes, stirring from time to time. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool, then pour over a third of the egg, cream and feta mix, and stir.

For the yellow mix, clean the pan, add the oil and put on a high heat. Add the onion and saute for five minutes, until some parts are dark brown and crisp. Turn the heat to low, add a quarter-teaspoon of salt, some black pepper and the turmeric, and cook for five minutes. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool, then whisk in the second third of the egg, cream and feta mix.

Clean the pan. Put all the green mix ingredients in a bowl with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and the remaining egg, cream and feta.

Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3. Return the clean pan to a medium heat, add a quarter-teaspoon of olive oil, then pour in half the red mix and cook to make a shallow omelette. Just before it sets completely on top – after about four or five minutes – transfer the omelette to a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Repeat the process with half the yellow mix and then half the green mix – both need a slightly shorter cooking time, about three minutes – and build the omelettes up one on top of the other, alternating in colour. Repeat with the remaining red, yellow and green mix. You should end up with a neat pile of six omelettes. Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and leave to cool down a little.

Place an inverted plate over the omelette "pie" and flip it over. Serve it as is, or trim the edge to get a nice round cake with distinct layers. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Courgette 'baba ganoush'

Yotam Ottolenghi's courgette ‘baba ganoush’ recipe: 'a delicate and delightful way to whet the appetite'. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

I don't know why we don't roast courgettes more. Getting some smokiness into the naturally bland flesh is a real revelation. Served with bread, this is a delicate and delightful way to whet the appetite at the beginning of a meal. Serves four as a starter or as part of a mezze.

5 large courgettes
80g goat's yoghurt
15g roquefort, coarsely grated
1 egg, lightly beaten

15g unsalted butter
20g pine nuts
½ tsp urfa chilli flakes (or a pinch of normal chilli flakes)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and black pepper
½ tsp za'atar, to finish

Heat the grill to its highest setting. Put the courgettes on an oven tray lined with baking parchment and grill for 45 minutes, turning once or twice during the cooking, until the skin crisps and browns nicely. Remove and, once cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin and put the flesh in a colander to drain (or scoop out the flesh with a spoon).

Put the goat's yoghurt in a small saucepan with the roquefort and egg. Heat very gently for three minutes, stirring often – you want the yoghurt to heat through, but not quite reach simmering point – then set aside and keep warm.

Melt the butter in a small frying pan, add the pine nuts and cook, stirring often, on a gentle heat for three to four minutes, until the nuts turn golden-brown. Stir in the chilli flakes and lemon juice and set aside.

To serve, put the warm courgette flesh in a bowl and add the garlic, a third of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Gently mash together with a fork, then spoon out on a large serving platter. Spoon over the warm yoghurt sauce, and top with some warm chilli butter and the pine nuts. Finish with a sprinkle of za'atar and serve at once.

Aubergine with black garlic

Yotam Ottolenghi's aubergine with black garlic recipe: ' I'd love black garlic to be more widely available'. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

Slices of roast aubergine, in many incarnations, have been a constant feature on the Ottolenghi menu since we first set up shop in 2002. Every now and then, a new dish will appear to shake up the old-timers and our latest bright young thing is this black garlic sauce. I'd love black garlic to be more widely available: its taste is reminiscent of molasses and tamarind, and it gives an unexpected depth of flavour. You can simply slice a few thin slivers and add to crunchy salads or creamy risottos – it's mellow enough not to dominate – or use it in sauces, dips and purees, as here. Serves four.

3 medium aubergines, cut widthways into 1.5cm rounds
200ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
8 large or 16 small black garlic cloves
200g Greek yoghurt
1½ tsp lemon juice
7 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 red chillies, cut on the diagonal into 3mm rounds
5g dill leaves
5g basil leaves
5g tarragon leaves

Heat the oven to its highest setting. Put the aubergine rounds in a large bowl with 60ml of olive oil, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well, then spread out on two large baking trays lined with greaseproof paper. Roast until golden-brown and completely soft – about 30 minutes – then remove and set aside to cool.

Put the black garlic in the small bowl of a food processor with a third of a teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons each of oil and yoghurt, and the lemon juice. Blitz for a minute, to a rough paste, then transfer to a bowl, stir in the rest of the yoghurt and refrigerate until needed.

Heat the remaining oil in a small saucepan on a high heat. Add the garlic and chilli slices, reduce the heat to medium and fry for five minutes, stirring from time to time, until the garlic is golden-brown and the chilli crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Arrange the aubergine slices, overlapping, on a platter, spoon the yoghurt sauce on top, sprinkle over the chilli and garlic, and finish with the fresh herbs.

Pea and mint croquettes

Yotam Ottolenghi's pea and mint croquettes recipe: 'They can be made well in advance up to the stage where they are covered in breadcrumbs and frozen.' Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

For a while, we had a pretty wicked trio running the evening service at Ottolenghi in Islington: Tom, Sam and Myles were notorious for working hard and playing hard, and all had two things in common: a cheeky grin and an unusual passion for what they cooked. These croquettes are their creation. They can be made well in advance up to the stage where they are covered in breadcrumbs and frozen. You can then partially defrost and fry them as required. These quantities make 16 generous patties, ample for four people; to serve as a snack or starter, just make smaller, 40g croquettes.

3 tbsp olive oil
6 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar
700g frozen peas, defrosted
20g mint leaves, finely shredded
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
4 eggs
100g plain flour
150g panko breadcrumbs
Sunflower oil, for frying
Salt and black pepper

For the sauce
1 tsp dried mint
120g soured cream
1 tbsp olive oil

To make the sauce, put all the ingredients in a bowl with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a grind of black pepper, mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Put the oil in a medium saute pan on a medium heat, and saute the shallots for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until soft. Add the vinegar, cook for a further two minutes, then take off the heat.

Briefly blitz the peas in a food processor – they need to break down without turning into a mushy paste – transfer to a bowl and stir in the shallots, mint, garlic, one egg, half a teaspoon of salt and lots of pepper.

Line a tray that will fit in your freezer with baking parchment and shape the pea mixture into 16 patties (around 60g each) about 7cm across and 2cm thick. Freeze for a couple of hours to firm up.

Beat the remaining eggs in a bowl. Put the flour in a separate bowl and the breadcrumbs in a third. Remove the croquettes from the freezer and, one at a time, roll them first in the flour, then dip in the egg and coat in the crumbs. You can now either return them to the freezer, for cooking at a later date, or leave them at room temperature for about an hour, until partly defrosted. Whatever you do, it's important, when it comes to frying, that the patties are not entirely frozen: you want them to cook through without burning the crust.

Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. In a medium frying pan, add enough sunflower oil to come 2.5cm up the sides. Put the pan on a medium-high heat and leave for five minutes, so the oil gets hot. Turn down the heat to medium and fry the croquettes in batches for about four minutes, turning once, until both sides are golden-brown, then transfer to a baking tray. When all the croquettes are cooked, put in the oven for five minutes to warm through, and serve with the sauce spooned on top or alongside.

Apricot, walnut and lavender cake

Yotam Ottolenghi's apricot, walnut and lavender cake recipe: 'it has a moist and soft crumb'. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

The combination of walnuts, apricots and lavender is as French as baguette with butter and brie, and every bit as invincible. Do try this cake: it has a moist and soft crumb, a delicate, fruity topping and it keeps well, covered, for a few days. Serves eight.

185g unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced
2 tbsp walnut oil
220g caster sugar
120g ground almonds
4 eggs, beaten
120g walnuts, blitzed in a food processor to a coarse powder
90g plain flour
½ tsp vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1½ tsp lavender, fresh or dried
Salt
600g fresh apricots, halved and stoned

For the icing
50g icing sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Put the butter, oil, sugar and almonds in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on a medium–high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs bit by bit, and continue to beat until well incorporated. Fold in the walnuts, flour, vanilla, lemon zest, a teaspoon of the lavender and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt.

Line the base and sides of a 23cm cake tin with baking parchment. Pour in the mix and level the top. Arrange the apricot halves over the top, skin side down and slightly overlapping, right up to the edge. Bake for 70-80 minutes (cover with foil if the top starts to brown too much).

Meanwhile, make the icing. Whisk the icing sugar and lemon juice to a light, pourable icing, adjusting the amount of sugar or juice as needed. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, brush the icing on top, sprinkle on the remaining lavender and leave to cool before serving.

Ricotta fritters with orange and honey

Yotam Ottolenghi's ricotta fritters recipe: 'something extra-special'. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Guardian

You know how slightly terrifying certain grandmother figures can be? Well, I had to cook these fritters for one such person on a recent visit to Sardinia. Signora Assunta turned out to be completely harmless in the end, but I was sure she was going to eat me alive if I didn't produce something extra-special for her. Luckily, I did her proud and she even gave me a kiss. Serves six.

470g ricotta
60g caprino goat's cheese (or another soft goat's cheese)
3 eggs
60ml full-fat milk
1½ tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped
Grated zest of 1 orange
160g plain flour, possibly more
1½ tsp baking powder
50g caster sugar
Salt
700ml sunflower oil, for frying
4 tbsp clear honey, warmed slightly, for drizzling
Icing sugar, for dusting

For the orange syrup
100g caster sugar
1 orange, rind shaved into long pieces and cut into very thin strips

Start with the syrup. Put the sugar and 100ml of water in a small saucepan on a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then gently simmer for three to four minutes. Add the orange strips, cook for two minutes, remove from the heat and leave the orange strips to cool down in the syrup.

Put 350g of ricotta in a bowl with the goat's cheese and eggs. Beat until fairly smooth, then whisk in the milk, mint and orange zest. Set aside.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a second bowl, and add the sugar and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to make a batter, adding more flour as necessary, until it is a dropping consistency. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest.

Pour enough sunflower oil into a small, heavy-based saucepan to come 4cm up the sides of the pan. When the oil is hot (180C), gently drop four or so heaped teaspoonfuls of the batter into the oil and cook for three to four minutes, turning occasionally, until golden-brown (turn down the heat if they brown too quickly). Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining batter.

Pile the fritters on to individual plates and drizzle over the warmed honey. Top with a dollop of ricotta and dust with icing sugar. To finish, spoon a few orange strips and some of the syrup on top of the ricotta, and serve immediately..

• This is an edited extract from Plenty More, by Yotam Ottolenghi, published next week by Ebury at £27. To order a copy for £17 (including free UK mainland p&p), visit theguardian.com/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846. To celebrate publication, we are also giving away a hamper packed with Ottolenghi goodies. To find out more and to enter, go to guardianbookshop.co.uk/competitions.

Set Design: Alun Davies at Factory. Hair and Makeup: Celine Nonon using Estee Lauder. Flowers supplied by TUFF, theurbanflowerfirm.com.