Yotam Ottolenghi (Feast, 24 February) claims that precisely eight minutes’ preparation time is required to:
(1) peel a kilogram of potatoes and cut them into “3cm pieces” (slices? cubes?); (2) peel four garlic cloves, and peel and crush a fifth; (3) peel one lemon – very carefully, as it has to be “finely shaved into five long strips” – and then take a second lemon, “zest finely grated, then juiced to get 1 tbsp”; (4) finely chop thyme leaves sufficient to fill two teaspoons, and finely chop mint leaves, sufficient to fill two teaspoons (he surely wouldn’t resort to dried leaves from a packet?); (5) measure out 100ml and 60ml of olive oil.
I’m willing to bet a three-course meal in one of his restaurants that he can’t do it in that time.
Anne Summers
London
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