BABA GHANOUSH, MUHAMMARA & FLATBREADS

fire food season is upon us

I hate to lean into the stereotype of a British person complaining about the weather, but it has been truly erratic this last week in London. Despite the elements, I will cook outside as much as I can between the months of May and October, before we are plunged into another six months of darkness. I encourage you to do the same, whether it’s a picnic in the park, eating breakfast with the sun on your face or a full blown BBQ or pizza making session in the garden. There is something about food cooked and eaten outside that feels oh so wholesome and always more delicious, you’ve really earned it.

This week’s recipes make use of a wood fired oven, in this case the beautiful Stadler Outdoor Oven. Cooking over a real wood fire gives these dips an incredible depth of flavour, the smokey charred notes perfectly balanced by the natural sweetness of the vegetables. You can of course make these recipes in a traditional oven or char the vegetables over a gas hob, if that’s what you have at home. I have given instructions for both methods below, so if you don’t have your own wood fired oven or the space to build a roaring fire, then you can still enjoy these recipes.

I hope you are all enjoying the summer and that you’re finding the time to eat a meal or two outside.

Sending love, Rosie x

Babaganoush, Muhammara & Flatbreads 

The perfect outdoor summer lunch to make in your Stadler oven. Before you get going, build a big strong fire in the oven and let it burn down for 30 minutes until you have glowing red hot embers. Push all the fuel to the back of the oven and then continue to feed with small pieces of kindling to keep a consistent heat. If you are working with a home oven, preheat it to its highest heat for at least 30 minutes.

For the Babaganoush: 

2 x medium aubergines

Half a clove of garlic, grated

The zest & juice of one lemon 

2 tbsp tahini 

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 tsp sea salt 

A small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

Method: 

1. Using heat proof tongs, palace both aubergines directly onto the hot coals and leave to charr, turning occasionally until all the skin it blackened and the flesh feels soft and supple all the way through. This should take between 10-15 minutes depending on the heat of your fire. If using a home oven, roast the aubergines whole for 45 minutes or until the whole vegetable is soft and cooked through.

2. Remove the aubergine and set to one side in a tupperware box with a tight fitting lid, sealing them in the box like this will allow them to steam and the skins will peel off super easily.

3. When cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin off the aubergine, discard the skins.

4. Mash the flesh with your hands or a fork and then combine with the garlic, lemon, tahini, olive oil and salt. I like to do this with a fork because I prefer a chunkier dip but you can also blitz in a food processor. 

5. Plate up and finish with a little more olive oil and the chopped parsley.

For more wood fired recipes, head over the the Stadler website.

For the Muhammara: 

4 x romano or red bell peppers

Half a clove of garlic 

2 tsbp tomato paste 

The juice of one lemon 

50g toasted walnuts 

A small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

1 tbsp olive oil 

Method: 

1. Using heat proof tongs, place all the peppers directly onto the hot coals and leave to charr, turning occasionally until all the skin it blackened and the flesh feels soft and supple all the way through. This should take between 8-10 minutes depending on the heat of your fire. If using a home oven, roast the aubergines whole for 30 minutes or until the whole vegetable is soft and cooked through.

2. Remove the peppers and set to one side in a tupperware box with a tight fitting lid, sealing them in the box like this will allow them to steam and the skins will peel off super easily.

3. When cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin from the peppers and discard the skins, then in the bowl of a food processor, combine with the garlic, tomato paste, lemon juice and half the walnuts.

4. Blend until you reach your desired consistency, I like mine with a bit of texture to it. 

5. Plate up and finish by crushing the remaining walnuts over the top, sprinkling the chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. 

For the flatbreads:

360g strong white bread flour

1 tsp caster sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp instant yeast

250ml warm water

Method: 

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, salt, yeast and warm water. Mix to combine and then leave for the yeast to bloom for 5 minutes.

2. Add the flour and with the dough hook fitted, mix on a medium speed for 5 minutes, until a smooth elastic dough forms. 

3. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel, set aside somewhere warm and allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. 

4. Split the dough equally into 8 pieces, shape into tight balls and then leave, loosely covered, to prove again for 30 mins.

5. When you are ready to cook the flatbreads, shape each ball into a disk with your hands or a rolling pin, toss with semolina and then using your pizza peel, slide it into the oven to cook for 60-90 seconds. Keep an eye on the flatbread and rotate if it looks to be burning in one spot. Alternatively, cook the flatbreads in a hot dry frying pan, for roughly 5 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

6. Remove once cooked and repeat with the rest of the dough, keeping the cooked flatbreads wrapped in a clean tea towel to stay soft and warm while you finish the rest of the dough.