Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for a Sorrel-Flavoured Chicken Salad and Spicy Root Veg Gratin

Serves 4

Sorrel adds a unique grassy sharpness to salads and dressings, but it can be hard to come by. You could use watercress instead, for a very different, yet still delicious, result.

1 free-range chicken (or 500g roasted chicken meat, in large chunks)
50ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
500g purple-sprouting broccoli (or broccolini)
50g sorrel leaves, cut into 2cm slices
2 tsp green peppercorns in brine
½ a small red onion, finely sliced
1 green chilli, finely chopped
30g anchovies in olive oil, cut into 1cm pieces
Grated zest of 1 lemon

For the dressing:

100g sorrel leaves, torn
90g Greek yoghurt
60g mayonnaise
2 tsp wholegrain mustard

Spicy gratin

650g (peeled weight) parsnips
350g (peeled weight) turnips
½ tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
50g unsalted butter
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
150ml double cream
½-1 red chilli (to taste), chopped fine
Grated zest of 2 lemons
30g parsley, roughly chopped
10g coriander, roughly chopped
Salt and black pepper
60g white breadcrumbs
100g mature cheddar, grated

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Season the bird all over with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast, basting a couple of times, for 45 minutes, until cooked and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and set aside until warm or at room temperature.

Remove any coarse leaves from the broccoli and, if they’re very thick, cut the stems lengthways once or twice. Throw into a large pot of boiling water and blanch for two minutes. Drain, refresh in cold water and set aside to cool and dry. (If necessary, pat dry with kitchen paper.) Toss in the remaining olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place a griddle pan on a high heat and, once the pan is very hot, char-grill the broccoli for a minute or two on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Put all the dressing ingredients in a food processor, along with some salt and pepper, and work to a smooth and uniform sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Use your hands to pull the chicken off the bone. Keep the pieces a generous size, and leave the skin on, too. Place the chicken pieces in a large mixing bowl, add the cooked broccoli, shredded sorrel, green peppercorns, onion, chilli and anchovies. Season and, using your hands, toss everything together gently.

Divide the salad into four portions, spoon the sauce over the top and finish with a scattering of freshly grated lemon zest.

Spicy Gratin

Cut the parsnips and turnips into 3cm x 10cm wedges. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, add the roots, bring back to a boil and cook for eight minutes until semi-cooked. Drain and set aside.

Wipe the pan dry, add the mustard and coriander seeds, and put on a high heat. When the seeds pop, add the butter, curry powder and cinnamon. Heat until the butter foams, turns nutty and browns, around two minutes; take care you don’t burn it.

Add the vegetables and stir in the cream, chilli, lemon zest and herbs. Season, transfer everything to an ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and cheese. Grill for three to five minutes, until nice and golden, and serve hot.