Charred Tomatoes with Cool Yoghurt, Pomegranate Molasses and Herbs

An irresistibly more-ish recipe from Helen Graves brilliant book Live Fire which you can also cook on a cast iron griddle

Helen writes: I have made, and will continue to make, many iterations of this tomato and yoghurt arrangement. It’s so, so good. Hot, charred tomatoes in a pomegranate molasses dressing are tumbled on top of cool yoghurt, 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 yoghurt. Obviously, you will want fresh flatbreads or toasted sourdough to really make the most of this.

Setup: Direct cooking

Equipment: Tongs

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

1 garlic clove, crushed

300 g (10½ oz/scant 1¼ cups) natural full-fat yoghurt

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) cherry tomatoes on the vine

handful of mint leaves, chopped

large handful of basil leaves, torn

handful of pomegranate seeds

Dressing

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

2 teaspoons za’atar (there's a recipe in the book if you want to make your own)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

3 tablespoons lemon juice

sea salt

— Prepare 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, yoghurt 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 yoghurt 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 yoghurt 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.

What to drink: You'd be unlikely to be having this on its own I suspect but a crisp white like a sauvignon blanc, a dry rosé or a light red like a frappato would all work well.

From Live Fire by Helen Graves, published by Hardie Grant at £26. Photography by Rob Billington

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