Make ahead - not necessarily simple
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." Mark Twain
So - I'm onto Ottolenghi's third version of simple, and realistically this one is not necessarily at all simple. In the sense that the recipe might not be simple at all that is. The meaning of simple here is that when you actually come to serve the meal it is simple because most, if not all of it, has been done ahead of time.
I went through his book and picked out almost all of the recipes (not many) that had this criterion only and yes, some of them are not that simple. When 'make ahead' is combined with one of the other definitions of simple the game changes and then they might be simple in the usual sense of simple as well.
I mean do you cook your everyday food ahead of time? Are you one of those organised people who makes double portions and freezes one of them, so that you can bring it out on a day when you don't feel up to cooking? I have tried that but the pitfall is that - even if you label it carefully, and I confess I don't, you forget it's there and in the end you have to throw it out. Not time-saving or economical - simply wasteful. I suppose, on the other hand, I usually make too much food and we do then have leftovers - like tonight's sumptuous meal, but this is not really planned. In fact it's a bit of the opposite really because the fact that I have leftovers is usually through poor planning and miscalculation of quantities which is not clever at all. Still it means I don't have to cook when we eat the leftovers. Like tonight.
No make-ahead really only comes into play as something that could be called simple when it comes to preparing food for a crowd - and nowadays with a growing family any meal, other than just for the two of us is cooking for a crowd - tomorrow we have all the immediate family, bar three and we still have seven people - not a huge crowd but a crowd nevertheless. And since it's sort of a special occasion there will have to be dessert too. So a cake will be made in the morning, and because it has to be meatballs, I'll probably prepare the tomato sauce and the meatballs well before everyone arrives because I don't want to be cooking and washing up when they are here. It's a meal that can be done in advance, bar the spaghetti - but it's definitely not simple.
As for Christmas - well that's when planning and making ahead is essential. And because you are doing it ahead, you can actually indulge in making more complicated things because, if you plan it properly, you have more time. And then you can enjoy the actual occasion. If you enjoy the preparation and planning that is. Some don't. Some find it hugely stressful.
"The joy of make-ahead recipes is that, with the knowledge that most of the work is done, you can then actually be in the moment when it comes to serving and enjoying a meal. Having friends and family over is as much about hanging out together as the food that you eat, and there shouldn't be a big gap between the relaxed fun of planning a meal and the reality of making it happen ... If you're someone who likes to plan and get ahead, don't try to turn into a crazy-person chef the night your friends are coming over for supper." Yotam Ottolenghi
Actually things like stews, curries and casseroles are actually better made ahead of time too. The flavours mature and blend very satisfyingly over a day or so. And marinading things in advance changes the taste completely. And the texture too. Like gravlax - a Christmas favourite - make-ahead and really, really simple. Or liqueurs - like limoncello. Or pickles like preserved lemons, chutneys and cucumber pickle - which we have grown to really like. You can't make any of them and eat them straight away. Some of those things are really simple - limoncello for example, or preserved lemons. They take a mere 5 minutes or so of actual work, but the maturing can take anything from a day to several months.
Whenever you cook a meal, however simple, there will be some preparation of vegetables, meat or fish, or other elements involved. And some of those things can be done in advance. Some can't - chopping herbs for example - though I have found that if you wrap chopped herbs in gladwrap they will stay fresh for a few hours. But again, you're more likely to do this if it's a meal for a crowd that you are preparing. A meal for two is generally a pretty last-minute thing in this house.
So yes - make-ahead as a 'simple' thing is a bit of a misnomer perhaps.
Here are some of Ottolenghi's purely make-ahead dishes from his book.
A North African equivalent to Shepherd's Pie that can be assembled in advance. It's actually not that complicated to make either. What makes it North African are the spices and the apricots and the tahini in the butterbean mash. I've now seen various versions of Shepherd's Pie and I don't think I've tried any of them. I'm too attached to my home version. Maybe they should not try and make us think it is a Shepherd's Pie.
The chicken bit can be made in advance but the corn topping has to be done just before the final cook. Interesting flavours - harissa, chocolate, coriander ....
A sort of meatloaf. Sorry about the picture - couldn't find one online and the one in the book is over the join in the pages.
"This can be served two ways. Either as it is, warm, as part of a main meal or left to cool and set, then cut into thick slices. This will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. These slices are great piled into a sandwich or warm pita bread, with the tahini sauce and grated tomato drizzled on top." Yotam Ottolenghi
Not very difficult to make either.
Well this one is just cauliflower cheese really with a different sauce to the usual plain white cheese sauce. I have been known to mess around with the sauce myself. And although he says you can prepare it all before cooking - and you can - I never do. I suppose if you were serving it to guests this would be a useful thing to do.
So there you go - make in advance - if you've got friends coming over anyway. Very useful at Christmas but it's simple in the sense of serving rather than cooking I think.
