Chicken and celery stew and aubergine kuku: Yotam Ottolenghi’s Persian recipes

Some people are sure they were a particular animal in a previous life. The swimmer was a dolphin, maybe, and the pilot a bird, but me? I’m only certain that I was at a Persian dinner table at some earlier point in life, and my love for Persian food was signed, sealed and stamped for ever more. Or maybe I just adore turmeric-stained, saffron-infused, barberry-spiked and flaked almond-topped food so much that it makes me feel poetic. Either way, the gift of Persian cuisine, which somehow pulls off both abundance and balance at exactly the same time, is one that transports me every time.Chicken, herb and celery stew with almonds (pictured top)This is inspired by a khoresh karafs, a Persian celery stew that puts a vegetable that usually gets only a supporting role firmly centre stage. It’s also a great make-ahead dish, because the flavour deepens with time – leave the grilling until just before serving, though.Prep 10 minCook 1 hr 10 minServes 66 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (850g)½ tsp...