'Feasting' recipes: From ocean trout with minted labne to saffron-roasted cauliflower with tahini

Giving us a new take on traditional Jewish cooking, Amanda Ruben’s debut book is all about nourishing the soul as well as the body

Away and boil yer head: but only if you don’t have time to slow-roast the whole cauliflower for this showstopping dish! (Amanda Ruben)

Whole roasted cauliflower with tahini and tomato salsa

Cauliflower is probably my favourite vegetable and I could eat it cooked like this every day. One of my chefs, Matthew Wihongi, created this recipe for our catering business and it really wows. If you don’t have time to slow-roast the cauli, parboil it until it is soft enough to pierce with a fork. Then put it in the oven with the saffron liquid and baste until golden.

Serves 4-6

1 large cauliflower head
1 tbsp saffron threads
1 tbsp sumac
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground chilli
90ml olive oil, plus extra if needed
1 tsp salt
540 g tahini dip, to serve
80g slivered pistachios, to garnish
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds, to garnish
2 tbsp chilli hair, to garnish

Tomato salsa

¼ red onion, finely diced
5 tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
Sea salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the cauliflower head on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Combine the saffron threads with 500ml boiling water and set aside to steep for 15-20 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the saffron liquid with the sumac, ground spices, oil and salt. Pour the mixture over the cauliflower, making sure it is evenly coated. Cover the tray with foil and roast the cauliflower in the oven for 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the saffron liquid. Add more oil if needed to keep the cauliflower moist. Remove the foil and roast for a further 10 minutes to brown the cauliflower a little.

While the cauliflower is browning, make the tomato salsa. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Season to taste with salt. To serve, spread the tahini dip on a large platter and place the cauliflower on top. Cut out a generous wedge of cauliflower and pile the tomato salsa inside and around the edge of the cauliflower. Garnish with slivered pistachios, pomegranate seeds and chilli hair.

Note: chilli hair is available from speciality food stores.

Confit ocean trout with pickled cucumber and minted labne

This is the ultimate buffet-table dish – it looks stunning, tastes sensational and can be prepared ahead of time and assembled at the last minute. To confit the fish means to cook it in warm oil, so it remains soft and flakes away, making it easy for people to help themselves. The lightly pickled cucumbers, radish and dill are a refreshing balance to the richness of the fish. If you can’t get ocean trout this is just as nice with salmon.

Serves 6-8

315g rock salt
1kg skinless ocean trout
1 lemon, sliced
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1.5l olive oil

Salad

1 fennel bulb, sliced on a mandoline
6 radishes, sliced on a mandoline
Juice of ½ lemon
60g dill
2 oranges, peeled and segmented
2 pink grapefruits, peeled and segmented
Pickled cucumbers
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
250ml white vinegar
3 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, sliced on a mandoline

Minted labne

80g mint
250g labne
1 tsp salt

Vinaigrette

60ml olive oil
60ml chardonnay vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp fennel seeds, freshly ground
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Prepare a brining solution by combining the salt with 1 litre of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil to dissolve the salt, then set aside to cool completely. Immerse the trout in the cold brine for 12 minutes.

To make the confit, place the fennel and lemon slices in a large roasting tray big enough to hold the fish. Cover with the oil and place over a very low heat. When the oil reaches 50C when tested with a sugar thermometer, immerse the fish in the oil, remove from the heat and leave for 10-12 minutes to confit.

Prepare the salad by placing the sliced fennel and radish in a bowl and cover with water and the lemon juice. To make the pickled cucumbers, set a saucepan over a low heat and add the salt, sugar and vinegar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Place the cucumber slices in a bowl and pour over the warm pickling liquid. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, then drain.

To prepare the minted labne, combine the mint and 60ml of water in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Put the labne in a bowl and mix in the mint paste and salt until combined. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste.

When you’re ready to serve, drain the fennel and radish. Build the salad by layering up the citrus segments, fennel, radish and dill, then drizzle over the vinaigrette. Remove the fish from the oil and drain on paper towel before placing on a serving platter. Top with the salad and serve with the minted labne and pickled cucumbers.

Spice-roasted sweet potato with shanklish, dates and pickled shallots

Serves 6-8

2kg sweet potato, peeled and cut into 6cm wedges
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt, for seasoning
10 medjool dates, sliced into thirds and stones removed
150g white shanklish or other soft white cheese
Red chilli, sliced, to garnish
Coriander sprigs, to garnish

Pickled red shallots

100ml red wine vinegar
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp caster sugar
¾ tbsp salt
4 red shallots, thinly sliced

Dressing

Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp date molasses
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

I’d never tried roasted dates until creating this recipe and I’m so glad I did. To get the best result it’s really worth buying fresh medjool dates for their juiciness. The flavours of date molasses, lime and fresh white cheese are so good with the caramelised roasted sweet potato. You can buy shanklish from Middle Eastern grocers, otherwise feta or fresh ricotta would also be delicious.

Preheat the oven to 200C and line two baking trays with baking paper. In a bowl, toss the sweet potato wedges with the seeds and oil and season with salt, then place the wedges on the prepared trays.

Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the edges of the potato are brown and the flesh is soft. Line another baking tray with baking paper and spread the date pieces on top. Roast the dates in the oven for 6 minutes, then remove and leave to cool and crisp up. To make the pickled red shallots, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt with 250ml of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer for 3-4 minutes before removing from the heat.

Place the shallots in a bowl and pour the hot pickling liquid over them. Leave to sit for 1 hour before serving. To make the dressing whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl.

To serve, arrange the sweet potato wedges on a platter, crumble over the shanklish in big chunks, then top with the roasted dates and pickled red shallots. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with the sliced chilli and coriander.

‘Feasting’ by Amanda Ruben, Hardie Grant, £25. Photography Elisa Watson