Despite the fact that the first dish he learnt to cook was steak au poivre and his early chef jobs were in high-end Michelin-starred kitchens, Ben Tish has always felt an affinity for the sunny food of the Mediterranean. “My life changed 20 years ago when a chance opportunity arose to help at the opening of an Italian restaurant, Al Duca, in London. The all-southern Italian team were completely focused on authenticity,” he says, recalling the leafy lemons, misshapen courgettes and young artichokes that were flown in from Sardinia that morning. “It was like nothing I’d seen before. I could smell the tomatoes before they had arrived in the kitchen.”
A year later he was made head chef and began visiting Calabria, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily. There he learnt to embrace the simplicity of allowing good ingredients to dictate the menu.
Now executive chef of the Cubitt House group of restaurants, he has travelled extensively around the whole Mediterranean basin for his latest book, Mediterra. “These are the dishes I love to share with friends, family and customers alike,” he says. “And if I have a message, it’s not only to cook like a Mediterranean, but to eat like one too.” Tony Turnbull
Clemence Street moussaka
While mostly associated with Greece, moussaka has its roots in the Middle East where layers of aubergine, tomato and meat are baked and combined with fresh herbs, cheeses and spices. Eastern Europe also has a version that predates the Greek. This is my version, inspired by many wonderfully vivid and sparkling Greek holidays, now regularly enjoyed at our home in east London.
Serves 4
Ingredients
• Olive oil
• 3 medium or 2 large aubergines, cut lengthways into 5mm slices
• A handful of panko breadcrumbs
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• A handful of mint leaves, chopped, plus extra to garnish
• 500g minced lamb
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 200ml dry red wine
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• A handful of parsley, chopped
For the sauce
• 500ml whole milk
• 60g butter, diced
• 60g plain white flour
• 50g kefalotyri or pecorino cheese, grated, plus extra to finish (optional)
• 2 large free-range eggs, beaten
• Nutmeg, for grating
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas 6. Lightly oil as many baking sheets as you need to hold the aubergine slices in a single layer.
2. Place the aubergines on the baking sheets. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, drizzle over a little olive oil and season. Bake for about 20 minutes until they are soft, golden and tender. Do not turn off the oven when you take out the aubergines.
3. Meanwhile, heat a good splash of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until it is softened but without colour. Add the garlic, cinnamon and half the mint leaves and stir for a further couple of minutes.
4. Stir in the lamb, turn up the heat slightly and brown the meat well, cooking until the mixture is quite dry. Stir in the tomato puree and wine and bring to a simmer, then add the tomatoes. Turn down the heat to low and leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season well and stir in the parsley.
5. Make the sauce. Bring the milk to just below boiling in one pan and melt the butter in another saucepan over a medium-low heat. Stir the flour into the butter and continue stirring for 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in the hot milk until you have a thick, smooth sauce. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs, grate in nutmeg to taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Arrange one third of the aubergines in an ovenproof serving dish, then top with half the lamb ragout. Repeat these layers, finishing with a layer of aubergine and the sauce spooned over the top.
7. Place the dish on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes until bubbling and well browned. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle over extra cheese, if you want, and garnish with the remaining mint leaves.
Fried squid with samphire and preserved lemons
One of life’s true pleasures — a plate of crispy squid served alongside an ice-cold beer, preferably somewhere by the sea where it is sunny and hot.
The Cretans know how to fry squid. Baby squid are the best when split, dipped in a coarse flour and fried very quickly for a nice crunch and served piping hot.
Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients
• 400g baby squid, cleaned and cut in half, tentacles and all
• 500ml whole milk
• 4 tbsp coarse cornflour
• 4 tbsp plain white flour
• Sea salt
• Rapeseed or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• 2 preserved lemons, drained and sliced (remove any pips)
To serve
• 30g fresh cleaned samphire
• Lemon wedges
• Shop-bought aïoli or mayonnaise (optional)
Method
1. Place the squid in a bowl and pour over the milk. Leave for an hour or so — this helps to tenderise the flesh. Mix together the cornflour, flour and 1 tsp sea salt, then set aside.
2. Heat enough oil for deep-frying in a deep-fat fryer or a heavy-based saucepan until it reaches 180C on a thermometer or until a sprinkle of flour fizzles on impact.
3. Drain the squid well and transfer to the flour mixture along with the preserved lemon slices. Toss through to coat and then shake off any excess.
4. Working in batches, add the squid and preserved lemons to the oil and fry until they are crispy and light golden brown. Drain well on a tray lined with kitchen paper and sprinkle with sea salt. Keep warm in a low oven and continue until all the squid and lemon slices are fried.
5. Serve in bowls with the samphire, lemon wedges for squeezing over and the aïoli or mayonnaise, if using.
Spaghetti with datterini tomatoes, anchovies and sage
This is perhaps the ultimate spaghetti al pomodoro — I have made a few little tweaks to add layers of extra flavour.
Good ripe tomatoes such as datterini are now readily available in supermarkets. The anchovies give a nice hit of umami while the added dash of balsamic to the sauce lends sweetness and depth (a good tip for meat ragouts as well).
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 200g ripe datterini, cherry or other small tomatoes
• 1 large fresh red chilli, stalk and seeds removed
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 3 salted anchovy fillets, rinsed and very finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• Chopped leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 200ml tomato passata
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 400g fresh or dried spaghetti
• A handful of sage leaves
• 30g pecorino or parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
• Extra virgin olive oil
• A handful of day-old breadcrumbs, fried in olive oil until golden (optional — this is the southern Italian way)
1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas 6.
2. Place the tomatoes and chilli in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season well. Sprinkle over the anchovies, garlic and thyme leaves and roast for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are softened.
3. Transfer everything to a saucepan over a medium heat and pour over the passata. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the tomatoes start to break up. Season again and sprinkle in chilli flakes to taste. A dash of balsamic here is nice. Keep the sauce hot.
4. Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and boil until just al dente. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the sauce with a couple of ladles of the starchy pasta water. Stir and toss through the pasta to coat, adding the sage, cheese and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Give it another stir. Serve in bowls and sprinkle over more cheese and breadcrumbs, if using.
Roast chicken with grapes, wine and rosemary
There’s something so wonderfully comforting and therapeutic about the whole process of roasting a chicken. This exquisite Provençal version sets sweet roasted grapes and fragrantly aromatic rosemary as a backdrop to the salty chicken.
Serves 6
Ingredients
• 1 red onion, unpeeled and cut into quarters
• 1 garlic bulb, cut in half widthways
• 1 oven-ready free-range chicken, about 1.8kg
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• Half an unwaxed lemon
• 700g seedless red or black grapes, ideally on their stalks
• 200ml dry red wine
• 300ml chicken stock (fresh or homemade is best)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan/gas 7.
2. Put the onion and half the garlic bulb in a deep roasting tin. Rub the chicken with olive oil, then season all over and inside the cavity. Place 1 rosemary sprig, the lemon half and the remaining half garlic bulb in the cavity. Place the chicken on the onion and garlic and transfer to the oven. Roast for 30 minutes or until the skin has started to brown nicely and caramelise.
3. Reduce the heat to 160C fan/gas 4. Scatter the grapes and three rosemary sprigs around the chicken and pour around the wine and half the stock. Roast for a further 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through — it should be crisp and golden on the outside and the juices should run clear when the thigh is pierced.
4. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate, cover with kitchen foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Do not turn off the oven.
5. Meanwhile, strain all the juices from the roasting tin into a saucepan. Put the grapes back in the tin and return to the oven. Roast for a further 5 minutes or until they are sticky and begin to caramelise.
6. Add the remaining 150ml stock to the pan and boil for 10 minutes or until the juices have reduced and thickened. Serve the chicken with the sticky, sweet grapes and the sauce for pouring over at the table.
Slow-roast potatoes with green sauce
A wonderful dish from Mallorca, where potatoes are revered as much as meat or fish. It’s one of my favourite potato dishes, great on its own or served with grilled meats and fish. You need a starchy potato for this. I like Pink Firs, but rattes or Charlottes are also good. The salt seems excessive, but it helps dry the potatoes and creates a delicious salty crust.
Serves 4; the sauce makes about 200ml
Ingredients
• 500g Pink Fir or other waxy, dry potatoes (see above), scrubbed
• 100g sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• Olive oil
For the green sauce (mojo verde)
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 20ml red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp fennel fronds
• 1 green chilli, deseeded
• 1 garlic clove
• 100g coriander sprigs
• 50g flatleaf parsley sprigs
• Half a green pepper, halved, cored and deseeded
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover by 3cm with cold water. Add 100g sea salt and then bring to the boil, covered. Uncover the pan, lower the heat and leave the potatoes to simmer until just tender. Drain well. When they are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthways.
2. Preheat the oven to 170C fan/gas 5.
3. Place all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blitz until a coarse paste forms. Season to taste. Set aside until needed.
4. Pour a good layer of olive oil into a roasting tray. Add the potatoes and stir them round, then sprinkle with more salt. Roast for 35-40 minutes, tossing once or twice, until crisp and golden. Drain the potatoes on a tea towel and serve with the mojo verde spooned over the top.
Mediterra by Ben Tish (Bloomsbury Absolute, £26) is published on Thursday. To order go to timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Free P&P on online orders over £25. Discount for Times+ members