A few hours earlier the place had a quiet stillness to it, as the first sets of feet slowly shuffled into the room, the home of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen. No longer based in the Camden arches, but instead on the bustling Holloway Road in North London, the big sunny rooftop room shining its morning light onto the clean stainless steel countertops, the brightly coloured floors, the rows of jarred ingredients lined up like keen students in a classroom saying "pick me!". There is no movement yet, no exhaust fan doing its best to drink in all the fumes of charred spring onions and eggplants, of fried shallots and chillies, of sugar and spice and all the things nice. It's just 9am on a Monday morning, and the best is yet to come.

Coffee poured and laptops fired up, there's a slow build-up as the minutes pass by, echoes of chatter as the Test Kitchen's hottest topic enters the room: food, obviously, There's a verbal exchange here, an I-go-you-go rhythm as a couple of chefs speak about their latest ideas and inevitable conundrums that ensue. Eventually this stops. A sizzle. Someone has started to cook.

It's gently fried onions, their harshness now sweet and their sharpness turned buttery. It's the holy trinity of ginger, garlic and chilli. It's an amalgamation of sweet spices, cinnamon and star anise, and with that the whole room takes a deep inhale, "Hey, can you grab some spoons?"

There are a few murmurs and a nod of approval. Someone grabs a lime and squeezes this on top. A sudden lift. Another nod. The, the inevitable question, "How are we going to Ottolenghify it?"

Ottolenghify: derived from the noun Ottolenghi

To Ottolenghify is to make something feel unequivocally Ottolenghi

To add flair, a slight twist to the familiar

A surprise in the mouth

Extra Good Things is filled to the brim with all the added extras that make a dish undeniably Ottolenghi.

The book is based on the notion of abundance and creativity, of picking and choosing, of mixing and matching, of starting from zero and ending at 10 with plenty more room for expansion.

It's the evolution of a meal, where one "extra thing" used in a multitude of ways becomes the gift that keeps on giving. It's all the good things, plus plenty of playful opportunities for your own reinvention. So, by all means, play, stock, fill and expand, and in turn, always Ottolenghify.

The much-loved Italian-American "eggplant parm" is the inspiration for this dish with layers of breaded eggplant, tomato sauce and cheese, but with a slightly different take here. If you can't find kataifi pastry for the topping, feel free to use filo instead and thinly slice it into julienne strips using scissors. This pie requires a little bit of love to make, but is well worth the effort for an impressive meatless centrepiece.

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan. Line two large baking trays with baking parchment.

2. Toss the aubergines in a large bowl with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper.

3. Put the flour into a shallow dish. Put the eggs and yolks into a separate dish with the 2 tablespoons of milk or water and whisk together well. Put the breadcrumbs into a third dish with 11/4 teaspoons of salt, mixing to combine.

4. Working with one slice at a time, coat the aubergine in the flour, shaking off the excess, followed by the egg wash, then the breadcrumbs. Transfer to your lined trays and continue with the rest. Drizzle the slices all over with 2 tablespoons of the oil per tray and bake for 15 minutes. Switch the trays around, then bake for 15 minutes more, or until nicely golden. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 180C fan.

5. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Put the oil into a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until softened and lightly coloured. Add the garlic and spices and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute more, then add the tinned tomatoes, sugar, 400ml of water, 13/4 teaspoons of salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to medium and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly. Stir in the coriander, then measure out 700g of sauce (you'll use this to build the pie). Keep the rest in the pan, to warm up when serving.

6. In a bowl, toss together the kataifi, half the pecorino and the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil.

7. Next assemble the pie. Line a 23cm springform cake tin with a piece of baking parchment large enough to cover the base and sides. Cover the base with a third of the aubergine slices (cutting them to fit, as needed). Top with a third of the sauce, a third of the mozzarella and a third of the remaining pecorino. Continue in this way with the remaining aubergine, sauce and cheeses. Lastly, top evenly with the kataifi mixture and bake for 35 minutes. Turn the heat up to 200C fan and bake for 15-20 minutes more, or until nicely golden on top. Remove from the oven and leave to set for about 30 minutes.

8. Remove the outer ring of the tin and use the paper to help you lift the pie onto a board. Heat up the extra sauce and serve the pie warm, or at room temperature, with the extra sauce alongside.

Serves 4.

Tomato sauce: Make up to 3 days ahead and keep refrigerated in a sealed container. Use this spiced sauce for pasta bakes and tomato-based stews, or crack in a couple of eggs to make a shakshuka.

READ MORE:

If the flavours of autumn could be rolled into one, this meringue roulade would be the result: warming cinnamon, burnt honey, sweet apples and tangy orange come together to make a dessert fit for the festive season. Make sure all your individual components have completely cooled before assembling - you don't want to create any excess moisture in the roulade. Get ahead by preparing the apples and cream the day before, keeping them refrigerated until needed.

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan.

2. Start making the filling. Put the honey, vanilla seeds and pod, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon and salt into a large ovenproof sauté pan on a medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until the honey is deeply brown (don't be afraid to take it to the edge; you want it to be very dark). Off the heat, whisk in the orange juice. Gently pour 65g of the burnt honey into a heatproof bowl. Pick out the bay leaves and vanilla pod and add them to the bowl.

3. Stir the apples and olive oil into the sauté pan with the remaining burnt honey, then transfer to the oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the apples have softened and caramelised but still retain their shape. Set aside to cool completely. Pick out the cinnamon stick and add it to the reserved burnt honey bowl. Keep the oven on.

4. Make the roulade. Line a large 40cm x 30cm baking tray with baking parchment.

5. Put the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment in place and beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute, until soft peaks form. Combine both sugars in a bowl and gradually add this to the mixer, a tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously on high speed for 5 minutes, until the mixture is a thick glossy meringue. Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla paste, cinnamon, vinegar and cornflour. Turn the speed to medium and whisk for a minute, to fully combine.

6. Spoon the meringue on to the prepared tray and use a spatula to spread it out evenly so it's about 35cm x 25cm. Transfer to the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 180°C fan. Bake for 30-32 minutes, until the meringue is crusty on top and lightly brown. Set aside to deflate and cool completely.

7. Meanwhile, prepare the cream by putting the whipping cream, icing sugar and mascarpone into the cleaned bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk attachment in place. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until soft peaks form. Stir in the orange zest.

8. Place a clean tea towel on top of the cooled meringue and quickly invert the whole thing on to a work surface. Lift the tin off and peel away the lining. Spread three-quarters of the cream evenly all over the meringue. Top evenly with the burnt honey apples (reserving any liquid released from the apples for another use).

9. Starting with the longest side closest to you and using the tea towel to assist you, roll the meringue up and over, so that the edges come together to form a log. Gently pull away the tea towel as you roll, then slide the meringue on to a long tray or platter, seam side down. Use a serrated knife to trim off 2cm from the sides to create neat edges (nibble on these if you like!). Refrigerate to firm up, at least 30 minutes (and up to 3 hours if you're getting ahead).

10. To serve, spoon the remaining cream down the length of the roulade. Top artfully with the bay leaves, vanilla pod halves and cinnamon stick. Drizzle with the reserved burnt honey syrup and sprinkle with the extra zest.

Serves 8.

This dish is inspired by south-east Asian flavours and is all about building depth starting with the base, which uses prawn shells to make a rich and spicy broth. Feel free to add other types of fish or shellfish, cooking them directly in the broth. Serve this with rice.

1. Peel the prawns - remove the heads and shells and set these aside. Devein the peeled prawns and refrigerate until needed.

2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, over a medium-high heat. Add the tomato paste and prawn heads and shells and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until deeply red. Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves and chillies, and cook for a minute more, until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, cream, 450ml of water and 1 teaspoon of salt, bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to medium-low, cover with the lid and leave to cook for 25 minutes. Strain through a sieve set over a large bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract as much flavour as possible (discard the solids, or save them for another use). Rinse out the sauté pan; you'll use it again later.

3. Meanwhile, make the fried aromatics. Put the oil, garlic, chillies and ginger into a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the coconut flakes and a tiny pinch of salt and cook for 4 minutes more, or until the garlic and coconut are golden and the chillies transparent. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the solids to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Add the basil leaves to the frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until deeply green and translucent. Drain them in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the aromatic oil. Transfer the basil to the plate of fried aromatics. Wipe out the frying pan; you'll use it for the prawns.

4. Add a tablespoon of the aromatic oil to the large sauté pan and place over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tomatoes and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until charred and starting to burst. Add the strained broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes, then keep on a low heat while you fry the prawns.

5. Lastly, heat the large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Toss the prawns with teaspoon of salt and 2 1/2 tablespoons of the aromatic oil. Once the pan is very hot, fry the prawns for 60-90 seconds per side (flipping just to get them nice and coloured). If you're overcrowding the pan, do this in two batches.

6. Divide the broth between four shallow bowls and top with the fried prawns. Squeeze a lime wedge over each of the bowls and drizzle each bowl with 1/2 tablespoon of the extra cream and a teaspoon of the aromatic oil. Top with the fried aromatics.

Serves 4.

Fried aromatics: Best fried on the day they're served, use these to top rice dishes, roasted fish or even a creamy potato gratin.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: