Swede – together with celeriac – is the ignored root vegetable of winter. Whereas pumpkin (and pumpkin soup) takes all of the glory, there’s a lot to be stated for the earthy sweetness of the ombré-hued vegetable; and much more to be stated for a stable, chunky soup with chickpeas and diced carrots. Cumin and rose harissa add depth; a tapenade-like condiment of inexperienced olives, even greener herbs and apple cider vinegar provides ballast. And a bonus: it’s vegan.
Undoubtedly not vegan, however positively scrumptious. It’s simple to see the attract of this rolled roast, the place the pork stomach flesh turns into comfortable and candy, and the pores and skin – that pores and skin! – takes on a crunch and crispiness, the sort that’s finest captured by ASMR-sensitive microphones and posted on YouTube. This can be a long-game recipe – the pork must be stuffed, rolled and refrigerated for as much as two days to marinate the flesh and dry out the pores and skin – so guide it in for a Friday night time undertaking for Sunday lunch outcomes.
Loads of fish within the soup: seafood in saffron and cascabel chilli broth. {Photograph}: Louise Hagger/The Guardian
Though contemporary seafood is a year-round affair in Australia, the chilly waters of winter are prime circumstances for fruits de mer. So, a seafood stew it’s. The result’s a steaming bowl of mussels, prawns and white fish in a broth that remembers bouillabaisse or brodetto, with the fruity spiciness of a dried cascabel chilli (it may be present in some specialty grocers, although you possibly can strive substituting with the extra extensively accessible guajillo chilli). The recipe requires one slice of sourdough per individual however, as is the case with good bread served with soupy dishes, extra is extra.
Can do: tinned sardines are a handy and inexpensive addition to this tomato-coconut curry with ginger and chilli. {Photograph}: Louise Hagger/The Guardian
Recent seafood is just not all the time an possibility due to funds or accessibility; and I can’t sing the praises of tinned sardines sufficient. They’re inexpensive, the fiddly filleting has been achieved and since you’ve chosen sardines in oil (not in springwater, you heathen) the fishy oil does double obligation as a flavour booster. Ottolenghi sautés the starter spices – cinnamon, mustard seeds – in stated oil, earlier than including an arsenal of aromatics: onion, garlic and ginger; garam masala and turmeric. The sardines are gently laid on high of the tomato-coconut curry earlier than the whole thing is spiked with contemporary lime. Wonderful.
Contemplate this a maximalist tackle congee. Turmeric! Olive oil! Maple syrup! You will discover none of those in conventional iterations of the dish however right here the silky rice soup is a canvas for winter-friendly flavour. It’s pretty much as good for breakfast as it’s for dinner.
Clean, silky and squashy: butternut pumpkin polenta with rosemary chilli oil. {Photograph}: Louise Hagger/The Guardian
Pumpkin with polenta is a wonderful train in colour-blocking. Clean orange pumpkin with even smoother polenta? Throw in a double dose of cheese (cream cheese, parmesan) and it’s winter consolation achieved.
“When the solar’s not out, I’m not that good at consuming fruit,” Ottolenghi says. His resolution, then, is to take 4 pears (he suggests convention pears, however in Australia substitute with beurre bosc) and a few child parsnips, and roast them with maple syrup and chipotle flakes for a candy, spicy and sticky facet dish.
Batter up: apple and pear eve’s pudding with vanilla cream. {Photograph}: Louise Hagger/The Guardian
There’s rather a lot to like a few pudding – it’s not fairly a cake, not practically a pie, however there’s the cloud-like batter of the previous and the “see what’s inside” attraction of the latter. With a filling of apples and pears, this one is a winter-fruit double act; the chilly distinction of vanilla cream is the good end.
It’s the butterless bundt! Using ricotta and olive oil ends in a cake with “the supplest crumb”, Ottolenghi says, whereas 4 lemons’ price of zest and a coterie of contemporary bay leaves will flood your kitchen with intoxicating perfume.
Drunken fruit: rum and raisin cake with rum caramel icing. {Photograph}: Rita Platts/The Guardian
It’s the boozy bundt! Begin this recipe a day forward – you wish to give the raisins loads of time to absorb the darkish rum. The result’s a wealthy, buttery cake studded with drunken fruit, with an opulent rum-caramel glaze. You’ll battle for a second slice.
