3 comforting autumn recipes to try from Samin Nosrat’s new cookbook

Fluffy Pork Meatballs

While I’ve always been a fan of the old camp song “On Top of Spaghetti”, I firmly believe that’s the very last place a meatball belongs. No matter how many meatballs I’m served, the pasta-to-meatball ratio is never right, and I always end up with half a bowl of lonely spaghetti! No, I prefer to serve these tender meatballs atop a slice of olive oil–fried bread rubbed with garlic, with ample sauce spooned over both. And covered with lots and lots of cheese (grated Parmesan, naturally) — because that part of the song was spot on.

Makes 16 – 18 meatballs

Ingredients

•120g panko breadcrumbs
•180ml full-fat milk
•3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking
•1 onion, finely chopped
•3 garlic cloves, minced
•450g pork shoulder mince
•1 medium egg
•45g finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
•20g minced parsley
•1½ teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed
•1½ teaspoons chilli flakes
•1¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•2 teaspoons (6g) kosher salt
•1kg Simple Tomato Sauce (page 359)
•240 to 360ml water
•Olive Oil–Fried Bread (page 94), rubbed with garlic, for serving

Method

In a medium bowl, combine the panko and milk. Use your hands to massage the liquid into the crumbs, but do not overwork. Set aside to soak until completely absorbed.

Set a frying pan over low heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and gently cook, stirring regularly, until soft but without colour, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, but don’t let it take on any colour, about 30 seconds. Scrape everything into a large bowl and allow it to cool.

Once the onion has cooled, add the pork, egg, Parmesan, parsley, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, black pepper, and salt. Use your hands to combine the mixture well. Add the panko and milk to the pork mixture and gently mix to combine. Avoid overworking or overcompressing the mixture, which can result in gummy or dense meatballs.

Make a small test patty to test the seasoning. Set a small frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the patty and cook until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, fennel, and chilli flakes as needed. Repeat with another test patty until the mixture is just right. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Coat a baking tray with oil. Use wet hands to gently form the mixture into 16 to 18 meatballs, about 60g each, avoiding the urge to overcompress! Place the meatballs on the baking tray, making sure to leave space between them for browning to occur. Chill the formed meatballs for 30 minutes to 1 hour to help them keep their shape.

Preheat the grill.

In a large casserole, combine the tomato sauce and 240ml water and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Meanwhile, set the baking tray in the oven so that the meatballs are 5 to 10cm from the heat source and grill until browned on top, about 8 minutes. (Browning times will vary considerably depending on grill strength, so keep a close eye on your meatballs the first time you brown them.)

Remove the meatballs from the oven and transfer them to the simmering sauce. If needed, add another 120ml water to ensure all the meatballs are partially submerged. Simmer, stirring gently as needed, until the meatballs are cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat, cover, and leave the meatballs in the warm sauce until ready to serve.

Serve with olive oil–fried bread lightly swiped with a garlic clove, and abundant grated Parmesan.

Cool, cover, and store leftovers in remaining sauce. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to a boil before using.

Joojah Kabob Roast Chicken

Growing up, my family didn’t eat out very often. But when we did, it was almost always at a Persian chelo kababi, where we’d each order a humongous platter of buttery saffron rice topped with two skewers of grilled meat and a grilled tomato. We each had our favourites, and mine was invariably joojeh kabob—tender, tangy pieces of saffron–and–yogurt–marinated chicken. Joojeh kabob was so deeply ingrained into my food memories that years later it was a primary source of inspiration when I developed my recipe for Buttermilk-Brined Roast Chicken. And because it’s just about the best roast chicken I’ve ever tasted, I used that recipe as the starting point for this one.

The chicken still brines overnight in a flavourful, well-seasoned marinade of yogurt or buttermilk, but this time, saffron, onions, lime, garlic, and a little tomato purée are layered in to deliver the precise combination of acidity, sweetness, and umami that makes joojeh kabob so irresistible.

Serves 4

Ingredients

•Requires overnight marinating
•1 whole chicken (1.6 to 1.8kg)
•Kosher salt
•½ teaspoon saffron threads, ground and bloomed (see page 37)
•1 tablespoon tomato purée
•4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
•365g natural yogurt or buttermilk
•1 brown onion, thinly sliced
•2 garlic cloves, finely grated
•½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
•Basic Crispy Rice (page 155), for serving
•Garlic and Herb Labne (page 48), for serving
•Shirazi Salad (page 247), for serving

Method

The day before you plan to cook, spatchcock the chicken (see page 282) and generously season it with salt on both sides.

Let the chicken sit at room temperature while you prepare the marinade.

In an extra-large zip-lock plastic bag, whisk together the bloomed saffron, tomato purée, and lime juice until evenly combined. Add 2 tablespoons (18g) kosher salt and the yogurt, onion, garlic, and pepper. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and squish the yogurt all over the chicken. Place it on a rimmed plate and refrigerate. If you’re so inclined, over the next 24 hours you can turn the bag so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but it’s not essential.

An hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the yogurt and scrape off any aromatics. Bring the chicken to room temperature.

Adjust an oven rack to the centre position and preheat to 220°C.

Arrange the chicken, breast-side up, on a wire rack set over a baking tray (line the tray with parchment to make cleanup easier). Cook until the chicken is a dark golden brown and the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh, about 45 minutes. (Loosely cover the chicken with a piece of foil for the last 10 minutes if the skin is getting too dark.)

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving with crispy rice, garlic and herb labne, and Shirazi salad.

Variation

To barbecue Joojeh Kabobs, marinate 900g to 1.4kg of seasoned boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 4cm pieces overnight. Remove from the marinade and thread onto metal or bamboo skewers.

Grill over medium-high heat until cooked through and gloriously charred and golden on the surface, about 5 minutes per side.

Stewy Harris Chickpeas with Winter Squash

Serves 4 to 6

Feel free to leave out the squash here for a less wintry vibe. If you do, consider folding in 35g golden raisins instead.

Recipe

In a medium casserole over medium heat, soften a finely diced onion and a pinch of salt in 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, about 10 minutes. Move the onion to the edges of the pot and add 3 sliced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons tomato purée, and 2 to 3 tablespoons mild harissa paste and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the oil is orangey red, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of ground cinnamon and allow to bloom until fragrant. Add 560g drained cooked chickpeas and stir to coat.

Add 680g peeled, seeded Honeynut or other winter squash cut into 2.5cm cubes, 540ml Chicken Stock (page 314), 110g extra-virgin olive oil, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash and chickpeas are very soft, 35 to 40 minutes.

Garnish with a squeeze of lemon and a showering of chopped coriander, parsley, or dill.

Serve with crusty bread or Fluffy Pitta Pockets (page 385), Marinated Feta (page 71) or Marinated Goat’s Cheese (page 74), and Garlic and Herb Labne (page 48).