A Cookbook for Winter – The clocks have now gone back and winter will soon be upon us, despite the lovely balmy autumnal days we’ve been enjoying of late. What better way is there to spend a cold, miserable, frosty day than to prepare delicious food to enjoy with friends and family? We’ll soon be needing to make the most of being holed up indoors, so the launch earlier this month of A Cookbook for Winter was perfectly timed. The book is a collation of nearly 100 nurturing and comforting recipes for the colder months ahead. It takes us through snow day soups & snacks; fondues & fireside suppers; warming one-pots & pies; winter salads; desserts & sweet bakes; and last, but not least, seasonal drinks. Whether it’s perfecting a traditional recipe or experimenting with seasonal produce, winter cooking is an art that can nourish both body and soul. This gorgeous book is packed with information, inspiration and colour photos. It’s a hardback, published by Ryland, Peters & Small at £22.
Here are a couple of recipes from the book that are perfect for Halloween, Bonfire night, or any cold wintery day.
Roasted pumpkin fondue with crispy sage (Recipe by Louise Pickford) Serves 6
“The flavour combination of pumpkin, Parmesan and sage is a classic of course, but here it is taken to a new level in this roasted pumpkin fondue. You do need to choose a pumpkin that is roughly the same size as the one used here – a smallish pumpkin at 1.75 kg or a little either side of that would suffice.”
1 x 1.75 kg pumpkin
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, bashed
1 rosemary sprig, bashed
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch
150 g Cheddar, grated
150 g Gruyère or Emmental, grated
75 g crème fraîche
a little freshly grated nutmeg
30 g butter
a small handful of small sage leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
griddled bread, to serve
roasting pan lined with baking paper
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
Slice the pumpkin and scoop out and discard the seeds. Drizzle the inside of the pumpkin with oil and season with salt and pepper. Pop the garlic cloves and rosemary sprig into the hollow, replace the lid and transfer to the prepared pan. Roast the pumpkin in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, test for doneness and then keep baking until it is just tender, checking every 15 minutes or so.
Once ready, remove the pumpkin from the oven, discard the lid and increase the temperature to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
Blend the wine and cornflour together until smooth. Combine the two cheeses and season with a little pepper. Spoon half the cheese mixture into the pumpkin and add the crème fraîche, wine mixture and then the remaining cheeses. Top with some freshly grated nutmeg.
Return the pumpkin to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and lightly golden.
Just before serving, melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat and as soon as the foam dies down, add the sage leaves. Cook for about 2 minutes until the butter is browned and the sage crisp. Pour over the cheese and serve with griddled bread.
Tip: As well as acting as a receptacle for the oozing cheese, you can also scoop out and eat the roasted pumpkin flesh as the level of the melted cheese lowers.
Oven-baked meatballs with cheesy tomato sauce
Recipe by Louise Pickford
This is an all-round winner. Tasty meatballs, a rich tomato ragù, a little cream for extra comfort, and a layer of meltingly gooey mozzarella all combine to make a type of meatball lasagne! A great midweek winter meal for the family – kids will love this one.
450 g minced beef
300 g minced pork
1 small onion, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons English mustard
2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 x 400-g cans chopped tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon caster/granulated sugar
a pinch of dried chilli flakes
4 tablespoons freshly chopped basil, plus extra to garnish
75 ml single cream
200 g mozzarella cheese, sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
pasta or bread and a crisp
green salad, to serve
a 4-litre Dutch oven
Serves 4–6
Combine the beef, pork, onion, mustard, thyme and plenty of salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix this together with your hands to form a really good sticky mixture. Then, using slightly damp hands, shape into 20–24 golfball-sized meatballs. Cover and let sit in a cool place for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 140ºC fan/160ºC/325ºF/Gas 3.
Heat the oil in the Dutch oven, add the meatballs, and cook in batches for 3–4 minutes until evenly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the tomatoes, garlic,1 teaspoon sea salt, sugar, dried chilli flakes and basil to the pan and bring to the boil. Pop the meatballs into the sauce, cover and transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Cook for 1 hour or until the sauce is thick and glossy and the meatballs cooked through.
Remove the pan from the oven and the lid from the pan. Very carefully pour the cream around the meatballs and then lay the mozzarella slices on top. Return to the oven, uncovered, and cook for 10–15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Scatter with some fresh basil leaves and serve with some pasta or bread and a crisp green salad.
Peaches with raclette & cinnamon (Recipe by Louise Pickford) Serves 4
“Pedro Ximénez is a divine sweet sherry from Jerez in Spain’s sherry-producing region. It is raisin-y, with chocolatey notes that blend beautifully with both the peaches and the melted cheese. You could substitute either Madeira or Marsala for the sherry, although Pedro Ximénez is best. This is a wonderfully soothing and warming dessert, perfect for a cold winter night.”
50 g unsalted butter
50 g soft brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 fresh peaches, halved and stoned
100 ml Pedro Ximénez, Madeira or Marsala
50 ml double cream, plus extra to serve
4 thick slices brioche loaf
4 slices raclette cheese, or
100 g raclette, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flaked almonds, toasted
a raclette or grill
Heat the butter, sugar and cinnamon together in a heavy frying pan. When bubbling, add the peach halves, cut side down and cook over a high heat for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Remove the peaches with a slotted spoon to a foil–lined tray. Return the frying pan to the heat and stir in the Pedro Ximénez and cream. Simmer for 5 minutes until you have a thickened, caramel sauce. Keep warm.
Heat the raclette machine or a conventional grill to its highest setting so the top plate is hot. Place the pan of peaches on the heat to keep warm.
Meanwhile, toast the brioche slices either under the raclette grill or a conventional grill and arrange on warm serving plates.
Lay the Raclette slices on the individual raclette trays and grill for 3–4 minutes until bubbling and melted. Carefully spoon 2 peach halves onto each slice of brioche and slide the melted cheese over the top. Immediately drizzle with the warm caramel sauce, a little more cream and serve scattered with the toasted almonds.
The Seasoned Gastronome