Barberries

Have an acidic tang which sweeter currants don’t, and they work well through all sorts of fritters, frittatas, omelettes and rice-based salads. There are only two recipes in Ottolenghi SIMPLE which call for barberries – the Iranian herb fritters (here) and the orange and barberry salsa which goes with the trout (here) – but, still, I think they’re really worth having in your cupboard the whole time. If you don’t have them, just soak an equal quantity of currants in a little bit of lemon juice – about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for 3 tablespoons of barberries – for half an hour. These can then be drained and used instead.