Charred Cherry Tomatoes with Cold Yoghurt by Ottolenghi (Simple)

A beautiful dish of contrasts : hot, full of flavor and juicy tomatoes with the cold plain yoghurt. Recipe from the book Simple by Ottolenghi.

Ingredients :

• 350g cherry tomatoes
• 350g extra thick Greek- style yoghurt, fridge-cold
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp brown sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced​
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, tiny chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, tiny chopped (and few leaves to decorate)
• 1 lemon: ½ used to get 2-3 strips and the other ½ to get 1 tsp of zest
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• flaked sea salt and black pepper

Time :

• Prepare : 10 minutes
• Cook : 30 minutes

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

2. Place the tomatoes in a mixing bowl with the olive oil, cumin seeds, sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano, lemon strips, salt and pepper. Mix to combine, then transfer to a baking tray.

3. Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to blister and the liquid is bubbling. Turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for 7 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blacken on top.

4. While the tomatoes are roasting, combine the yoghurt with the grated lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon of flaked salt. Add back to the fridge until ready to serve.

5. Once the tomatoes are ready, prepare the bread. Slice 6-8 pieces of baguette and grease each of them with 1 teaspoon of the seasoned juice from the tomatoes. Add them in the heated oven for 3 minutes.

6. Spread the chilled yoghurt on a platter or bowl, creating a dip in it with the back of a spoon.

7. Spoon over the hot tomatoes, along with their juices, lemon skin, garlic and herbs and finish with the fresh oregano leaves and chilli flakes. Serve at once, with some bread.