Ottolenghi Simple's vegetable braises use acid (preserved lemon, pomegranate molasses, tamarind) and sweetness (honey, dates, dried fruit) as the primary flavour drivers of a braise that cooks in under one hour — faster than meat braises because vegetables require only the softening of pectin and cell walls rather than collagen breakdown.
Vegetables (fennel, cauliflower, aubergine, root vegetables) braised in a sweet-sour liquid (acidic component + sweet component + aromatics + olive oil) over medium heat for 30–60 minutes until tender, glazed, and deeply flavoured.
- The sweet-sour ratio determines the final character — pomegranate molasses-heavy produces tart, fruity depth; honey-heavy produces sweet, floral softness. Both work; the choice is flavour direction - Cover for the first half, uncover for the second — covered cooking steams the vegetables tender; uncovered cooking concentrates the liquid into a glaze - Olive oil in the braising liquid emulsifies into the reduced liquid, producing a glossy sauce rather than a thin broth - Aromatics (garlic, dried chilli, whole spices) added at the start infuse into the liquid throughout the cook - The braise is done when the liquid has reduced to a thick, glossy sauce that coats the back of a spoon and the vegetables are tender throughout
FLAVOUR THESAURUS (continued) + OTTOLENGHI SIMPLE