hot charred cherry tomatoes with cold yoghurt

SERVES 4 (as a starter or mezze)

The beauty of this dish lies in the exciting contrast between the hot, juicy tomatoes and fridge-cold yoghurt, so make sure the tomatoes are straight out of the oven and the yoghurt is well chilled. The heat of the tomatoes will make the cold yoghurt melt invitingly, so serve with plenty of crusty sourdough or focaccia to mop it all up.

350g cherry tomatoes 3 tbsp olive oil ¾ tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp light brown sugar 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced 3 thyme sprigs 3 sprigs fresh oregano, plus extra sprigs, leaves picked, to serve Skin of ½ lemon, finely shaved to get 3 strips, plus 1 tsp lemon zest Sea salt flakes and black pepper 350g extra thick Greek-style yoghurt, chilled ½ tsp Urfa chilli flakes or regular chilli flakes Sourdough or focaccia, sliced, to serve

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C. 2. Place tomatoes in a large bowl with olive oil, cumin seeds, sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano sprigs, lemon strips, ½ tsp of flaked salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix to combine, then transfer to a baking tray just large enough to fit all the tomatoes together snugly. Roast for 20 minutes, until tomatoes are beginning to blister and the liquid is bubbling. Turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for 6–8 minutes, until tomatoes start to blacken on top.

3. While tomatoes are roasting, combine yoghurt with the lemon zest and ¼ tsp of sea salt flakes. Chill until ready to serve.

4. Spread chilled yoghurt on a platter (with a lip) or in a wide, shallow bowl, creating a dip in it with the back of a spoon. Spoon over the hot tomatoes, along with their juices, and top with the lemon skin, garlic and herbs. Sprinkle with oregano and chilli flakes. Serve immediately with bread of your choice.

“It was a moment of revelation when I first combined cauliflower and raw, grated cauliflower in the same dish” YOTAM OTTOLENGHI, CHEF