The Dish: Chef Timothy Hollingsworth

Timothy Hollingsworth's humble beginnings in the food industry began with a job as a dishwasher. From there, he rose through the ranks and to the highest heights eventually becoming chef-de-cuisine at Thomas Keller's world-renowned French. 

He eventually stepped out on his own in Los Angeles, where his Otium serves vibrant rustic dishes flavored with the influence of his worldwide travels.

Here are some of Hollingsworth's signature recipes: 

Fig and burrata tart 

Tart dough ingredients

2 cups Flour
1 cup Butter, chilled and cubed
3 Tbsp Water
1 tsp Salt 

Directions

1. Make sure all ingredients are very cold. Mix flour and salt in the mixer with a paddle attachment. Incorporate the cold cubed butter in increments. Mix until crumb-like.   

2. Add the cold water until it all comes together.   

3. Cut dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic. Chill for a few hours before rolling out. (Dough can stay frozen for up to 1 month).   

4. Pre-heat oven to 400 F   

5. Roll out 1 wrapped piece of dough to a 8-10 inch round. Press into the bottom of a springform pan. Pierce the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing during cooking. Blind bake for about 20 minutes or until the crust is browned.

6. Let cool for 30 min, remove tart dough from springform pan..

Onion marmalade ingredients

4 cups Onion, sliced
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Madras Curry
1/4 cup Sherry Vinegar
2 Tbsp Honey 

Directions

1. Add onions and water to a small pot. Cook onions all the way down, until completely dry or onions are tender.   

2. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook until the mixture is dry and has a thick, jam-like consistency. 

3. Reserve for plating Honey-sesame butter ingredients

Marinated figs ingredients

1/2 lb Figs, quartered
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 Tbsp Black Pepper
1/4 cup Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt, to taste 

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Let marinade for 1 hour before plating. 

2. Top baked tart dough with a layer of onion marmalade. 

2. Add on burrata segments, evenly distributing them over the marmalade.   

3. Top with marinated figs.   

4. Add salt and pepper to taste, garnish with basil and petals of the roasted onions.  

Roasted cauliflower 

Ingredients

1 large head (about 1 ½ pounds/720 grams) cauliflower, separated into large florets
Canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
(Makes about ¾ cup)
½ cup water
½ cup champagne vinegar
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (5 ounces/140 grams) sultanas 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Toss the cauliflower florets with just enough oil to coat and season lightly with salt and pepper.

3. Arrange the florets on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until lightly browned in parts, about 20 minutes.

4. In a large saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, and sugar to a simmer and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Add the sultanas and simmer for 10 minutes. 

5. Remove the pan from the heat and cover it. Let stand until cool. 

6. Drain the cooled sultanas, reserving the poaching liquid. 

7. Puree the sultanas in a blender until completely smooth, adding only as much of the poaching liquid as needed to keep the mixture moving and to ensure that it is smooth. Set aside.

Caper vinaigrette ingredients

7/8 cup water
3 1/2 teaspoons brine from jar of capers
5 teaspoons sugar
1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (4-ounce) jar capers, drained and chopped

Directions

1. Place the water, caper brine, sugar, and salt in a blender.

2. Blend a few seconds until combined. Add the xanthan gum through the feeder and blend a few seconds until well combined. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

3. Transfer the vinaigrette to a jar and add the chopped capers. Cover and shake to combine. Set aside until needed or store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Almonds ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup (2 ½ ounces/71 grams) whole almonds, split lengthwise in half
Kosher salt

Directions

1. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it melts and becomes foamy. Increase the heat to medium and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is medium-brown and smells toasty, about 5 minutes.

2. Strain the brown butter through a fine mesh strainer into a glass measuring cup or heatproof jar.

3. Pour the brown butter into a sauté pan and add the almonds. Cook over medium heat, gently stirring occasionally, until the almonds are brown and smell toasted. Add salt to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To serve

1. Pour the sultana puree on a large serving platter. Arrange the cauliflower on top. Pour over some caper vinaigrette.

2. Scatter over the grapes and almonds. Drizzle with some almond oil.

3. Garnish with cilantro and fleur de sel. Serve.

Butternut squash 

Ingredients

1 butternut squash
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 thyme sprig

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.   

2. Peel the squash, then split it in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard the
seeds.   

3. Place the squash halves on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Brush all over with
butter. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, garlic, and thyme. 

4. Arrange the squash cut-side down on the foil and wrap to form a tightly sealed
packet and place on a baking sheet. 

5. Roast until tender but not falling apart, 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Homemade ricotta ingredients (store-bought also works)

4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk, cream, buttermilk, and
lemon juice to a low simmer.   

2. Turn off the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.   

3. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Pour the mixture into the
strainer and place the whole set-up in the refrigerator. Let stand overnight. 

4. Discard the liquid in the bowl and transfer the ricotta to a clean bowl. 

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in a covered container in the
refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Coffee sauce ingredients

Scant 1/3 cup liquid glucose
¼ cup strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons espresso (about 1 shot)
Kosher salt
Red wine vinegar

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine the glucose, coffee, sugar, and espresso or espresso
powder and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until reduced
by about half; it should be a thick but pourable sauce with the consistency of a
crème anglaise.   

2. Season with a pinch of salt and a splash of red wine vinegar. Keep warm aside. 

Toasted pepitas ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup (2 ¼ ounces/65 grams) raw pepitas
Fleur de sel to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat.   

2. Before the butter begins to foam, add the pepitas. Toast just until they begin to
turn golden brown.   

3. Drain off the butter. Season with fleur de sel. Set aside.

To serve

1. Cut each butternut squash half in 3 to 4 pieces and place on a large serving platter. 

2. Drizzle with coffee sauce. Add dollops of ricotta to the platter.   

3. Garnish with toasted pepitas and sorrel leaves. Serve. 

Roast chicken, potato, shishito and aji verde

Love sauce ingredients

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 whole garlic heads
2 cups white wine
1 teaspoon aleppo pepper 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut just enough of the top off of each head of garlic to reveal the cloves. In a small ovenproof sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic cut side down and cook very gently for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is nicely browned.

2. Add the wine and put in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the wine is reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Remove from the oven and let cool.

3. Squeeze the softened garlic out directly into the pan. Add the Aleppo pepper and use a whisk to crush the garlic and combine the sauce. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Roast chicken ingredients

1 whole chicken, giblets removed
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, halved, seeds removed
1 garlic head
1 cup shishito peppers
1 cup cherry tomatoes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Wash chicken and pat dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff with desired aromatics (lemon and garlic). 

2. Brush the outside of the chicken with Love Sauce spread. Roast for 1.5 hours, adding in shishito peppers and cherry tomatoes halfway through 

Crispy potatoes ingredients

2 pounds tri-color marble potatoes, scrubbed
Peanut oil, for deep frying
Minced zest from ½ lemon
1 tablespoon fleur de sel
1 tablespoon minced red onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

2. Place the whole potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until they offer little resistance when pierced with a sharp thin-bladed knife, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on their size. 

3. Let stand at room temperature until cooled. Use your hand to slightly flatten the potatoes and break their skin a bit.  Meanwhile, pour the oil 3 to 4 inches deep into a large, heavy Dutch oven or other deep pot and heat over medium-high heat to 400°F.  While the oil is heating, in a small bowl mix together the lemon and fleur de sel. Set aside. 

4. Fry the potatoes, in batches if necessary, until evenly brown all over, about 3 minutes. Remove them with a spider or slotted spoon and place them directly into a large bowl. (Adjust the heat as necessary between batches to return the temperature of the oil to 400°F.) 

5. While the potatoes are still hot, add the red onion and season to taste with the lemon salt, kosher salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat.
Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Aji verde ingredients

2 bunches cilantro
2 bunches green onion
3 jalapeno peppers
2 serrano peppers
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine ingredients in blender, blend until smooth 

To plate

1. Plate roast chicken on a platter, surrounded by the crispy potatoes 

2. Top with roasted shishitos, cherry tomatoes, and some of the pan drippings

3. Top with picked cilantro leaves

4. Serve aji verde sauce on the side