Yotam Ottolenghi’s alternative Christmas recipes | Food (2024)

In our house, now that I, an agnostic Jew, have succumbed to the idea of celebrating the birthday of the son of God, the arguments focus on the best distraction I know: food. The stakes aren’t as high and the rewards far tastier. My husband Karl, who isn’t at all traditional, wants this to be the one time of year when he can pass on to our two sons something directly connected to his own childhood. ‘Don’t poncify Christmas,’ he says if I dare suggest anything remotely inconsistent with the turkey-stuffing-potatoes-brussels of his early years in Northern Ireland. And so out goes my brilliant idea of democratising the table by banishing the turkey and trimmings altogether, and replacing them with a Middle Eastern meze.

I also accept that one big thing in the centre of the table enhances and focuses the feast. It needn’t be a turkey – today’s lamb shoulder does a very good job – but the sense of occasion is really helped by something properly grand. Whatever you do, though, eat, eat some more and be very, very merry.

Cumin and Szechuan pepper lamb with steamed aubergine

This is a marvellous festive dish – so much better than turkey – in which the juices from the spicy lamb are used to dress the aubergines, injecting them with a tremendous amount of flavour. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of salt in the aubergine: it mostly steams away as it cooks.

1.8kg bone-in lamb shoulder, patted dry and pierced all over with a skewer
350ml dry white wine
1 whole garlic bulb, top fifth cut off to expose the cloves
6 large, mild red chillies, cut in half lengthways and deseeded
6 banana shallots, peeled
2 cinnamon sticks, roughly crushed
4 aubergines, green tops trimmed
1½ tbsp roasted and salted peanuts, roughly chopped
3 spring onions, green ends very finely sliced on an angle
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely cut into julienne strips
2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely sliced
1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar, or normal rice-wine vinegar

Put the lamb skin side up in a 35cm x 25cm high-sided baking tray, then rub all over with a tablespoon of flaked salt and plenty of pepper. In a spice grinder or mortar, blitz or grind the cumin, Szechuan pepper and chilli to a coarse powder. Add both garlics and the soy sauce, and blitz or pound to a smooth paste. Tip into a bowl, stir in the sugar and vinegar, then massage all over the lamb. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate, ideally for two days and at least overnight.

Half an hour before the lamb is ready, cut the aubergines into 2cm-thick x 7cm-long batons, then toss in a large bowl with two and a half tablespoons of flaked salt. Fill a large saucepan with enough water to come 3cm up the sides and bring to a boil. Put a large steamer over the pan, then lay in the aubergines and cover with the lid (or seal well with foil). Turn down the heat to medium-high and steam for 18 minutes, until very soft but holding their shape. Transfer the steamer basket to the sink and leave to drain for a few minutes.

Transfer the aubergines to a large bowl with the peanuts, spring onions, ginger and coriander. Remove the chillies and garlic from the lamb. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins, and add to the aubergines with the chillies. Stir together gently, being careful not to break up the aubergines.

Transfer 75ml of the lamb cooking juices to a small saucepan on a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of Chinkiang vinegar and keep warm. Transfer the lamb, shallots and remaining jus to a large platter and arrange the aubergine beside it. Pour the warm jus and vinegar on top of the aubergines, and serve.

Potato gratin with coconut, chilli and lime

This is lighter than a dauphinoise or boulangère, so works very well with the fatty lamb. If you’re making the whole of today’s Christmas spread in one oven, bake the gratin ahead of time and reheat in a very hot oven just before serving. Top with the aromatics and zest just as you serve, and not before.

5 banana shallots, peeled and cut into 5mm-thick slices
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
Flaked sea salt and black pepper

1.4kg slightly waxy potatoes (I used yukon gold), skin on, cut into 5mm-thick slices (use a mandoline, ideally)
100g coconut cream, gently melted until liquid
3 limes – zest finely grated, to get 1½ tsp, then juiced, to get 60ml
200ml vegetable stock

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put the shallots, garlic, oil and a quarter-teaspoon of salt in a 28cm ovenproof saute pan on a medium heat. Fry for eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and deeply golden, then tip into a large bowl. Keep the pan to be used again (no need to clean it).

Put the potatoes, coconut cream, lime juice, two teaspoons of salt and plenty of pepper in with the shallots and mix very gently, taking care not to break up the potato slices. Lay a quarter of this mixture in the saute pan – use any smaller or broken slices of potato at this stage, and save the larger, whole slices for the top – and spread out in an even layer. Lay the remaining potato mixture in a spiral on top of this base layer, with each slice at an angle and overlapping the next. Pour on the stock, cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove the gratin from the oven and discard the foil. Drizzle 60ml aromatic oil evenly over the top, then return to the oven uncovered and bake for 50 minutes more. Turn up the heat to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 for the last five minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp.

Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, top with the fried aromatics, lime zest and a generous pinch of flaked salt, and take to the table.

Gingery cucumber salad

Prep 10 min
Marinate 2 hr 20 min
Cook 5 min
Serves 6

Cut the cucumber into roughly 1.5cm chunks. Add to a bowl with two teaspoons of flaked salt, stir and set aside for 20 minutes. Strain, discarding any liquid, then return the cucumber to the bowl with the garlic, lime, vinegar and two-thirds each of the ginger and spring onions. Leave to marinate for two hours. To serve, toss through the coriander and the remaining ginger and spring onions, and sprinkle over a quarter-teaspoon more salt.

Fiona Beckett’s wine recommendation

You need a bright, juicy red such as an Aussie shiraz or new world pinot noir with these bold, spicy flavours: Mahana Gravity Pinot Noir 2016 (£11.99 on the mix-six deal at Majestic, 14%) fits the bill perfectly.