Hot, charred tomatoes in a pomegranate molasses dressing are tumbled on top of cool yogurt, straight from the fridge. A plate of glorious contrasts. You may not want to use all the dressing, but personally I love the way it pools into the yogurt. Obviously, you will want fresh flatbreads or toasted sourdough to really make the most of this.
SERVES 4
SETUP Direct cooking
PREP TIME 10 minutes
COOK TIME 5 minutes
1 garlic clove, crushed
300g full-fat natural yogurt
1kg cherry tomatoes on the vine
Handful of mint leaves, chopped
Large handful of basil leaves, torn
Handful of pomegranate seeds
DRESSING
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tsp za’atar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
3 tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt
- Begin by preparing a barbecue for direct cooking over medium heat.
- Combine the dressing ingredients with a pinch of salt in a clean lidded jar or bowl and shake or whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Combine the crushed garlic, yogurt and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Grill the tomatoes over direct heat for about 5 minutes until charred and soft.
- To serve, spread the garlic yogurt on a plate. Remove the grilled tomatoes from the vine and combine with the herbs in a bowl. Add two-thirds of the dressing and mix gently.
- Top the yogurt with the tomato mixture and pour the remaining dressing on top. Add another drizzle of olive oil, a scattering of pomegranate seeds and some more salt, if you like.
TO COOK INDOORS Preheat a cast-iron griddle pan over a high heat for at least 5 minutes and use it to char the tomatoes. You could also cook them under the grill – just make sure they get nice and black in places.
Buy the book
Our recipes are taken from Live Fire: Seasonal Barbecue Recipes and Stories of Live Fire Traditions Old and New by Helen Graves (Hardie Grant, £26). To order a copy for £22.10 with free p&p until 19 May, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
