Ok, rather than do a big intro here is a collection of some of my favourite winter recipes. With the exception of the squash fondue, which I found in a magazine a few years ago and fell in love with, these are recipes that I have created time and again and through a process of trial and error I think have perfected – all can be tweaked to suit individual tastes e.g. use less garlic, swap cream for crème fraiche etc. Observant readers may notice the extreme use of ingredients such as butter, cream and cheese – clearly the below concoctions are not for the dieting or the feint hearted!! The way I justify consuming any of these to myself is that surely, when it is cold you need more calories to keep you warm? – keep telling yourself that if you brave any of these decadent treats!! Hope you enjoy!
Roast Cauliflower and Garlic Soup
Take a large head of cauliflower and break into florets. Steam (or even microwave) for just a few minutes until they start to soften. Arrange the florets on a baking tray with several (depending on taste – I would use 6-8) cloves of garlic.
Season well and drizzle with a generous helping of olive oil and then place in a 180 degree oven for 45 minutes or until roasted – the cauliflower should be brown and crisp without being burnt.
While the cauliflower and garlic is roasting, gently fry a large white onion in olive oil until soft. When ready, add the cauliflower and garlic cloves (remove the skins) and add half a litre of good chicken stock. Allow the mixture to come to the boil and then leave to cool.
When cool use a blender to create a soup (or a magimix). Add 150mls of double cream and season well. I like this soup to have a few chunky bits in so only roughly blend it, however if you prefer you can also blend it to a complete liquid and then sieve out any bits for a much finer style soup.
You can have this as a hearty meal in itself or it also makes a great amuse bouche or canapé if you serve it in a miniature cup or shot glass. The roast garlic really brings out the sweet creamy flavour of the cauliflower.
Squash Fondue
As well as being extremely simple this recipe is a real show stopper and never fails to impress guests. It is great fun to eat and as the squash acts as the cooking vessel there is very little washing up!
To serve 2-3 take a medium sized squash – I used Calabaza but a small pumpkin or any other round squash will do, cut a lid from the top and scoop out all the seeds.
Crush 2 large garlic cloves with a ½ teaspoon of sea salt flakes and crush into a paste. Using your hand, coat the inside of the squash with the garlic paste. Meanwhile grate a block of gruyere (the exact quantity depends on how much you can fit in the cavity of the squash) and mix with two heaped tablespoons of crème fraiche and season well.
Fill the empty squash with this mixture, replace the lid and bake in the oven at 190 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour until the cheese has melted and the flesh of the squash is cooked.
Meanwhile cook some Orzo pasta according to pack instructions and lightly fry some fresh sage leaves to serve with the fondue. Heap generous spoonfuls of both the flesh of the squash, and the melted cheese mixture, over the pasta and top with the crisp sage.
Continue to help yourself to chunks until there is nothing left!
Gnocchi with Blue cheese and Candied Walnuts
This is an incredibly simple recipe although be warned it is seriously rich. I recommend only a small portion and serving it with a side salad with a tart dressing to cut through the creaminess. For those that cant go without meat I add a few fried lardons of bacon to the salad but these would also work sprinkled ontop of the main dish itself.
Smash a handful of walnuts with a rolling pin to create smaller chunks. Place on a baking tray and sprinkle with white sugar and put in a hot oven checking regularly as the nuts can burn very easily. When the sugar starts to melt take out and set aside.
Pour 150mls of double cream into a saucepan and add around 150g of chopped or crumbled gorgonzola and gently stir together over a low heat. Add ½ a tsp of concentrated chicken stock and 3 tbsp of white wine.
I use gnocchi from the fresh aisle but you can use store cupboard stuff too. Add the Gnocchi to salted boiling water with a little olive oil for 2 – 3 minutes. Drain and then add the gnocchi to the blue cheese sauce. Cook for a further minute and ensure all the gnocchi are coated in the sauce. Serve in bowls with a generous ladle of the sauce, with the walnuts sprinkled over the top and a few leaves of rocket.
Potatoes Dauphinoise
This classic was obviously not invented by me but I have cooked it so many times and it is one of my all time favourites and something that almost everyone adores, so the below is just my Cos I’m version!
Take around 9 – 10 large Desiree or King Edward potatoes and one onion and peel and chop into thin even width discs – I always use a mandolin for this as it saves hours of time and gives you uniform slices.
The next stage is absolutely key for ensuring the potatoes are well cooked and not crunchy when the dish is finished. Boil all the slices including the onion in milk for about 4 minutes.
Drain and then arrange in layers in a shallow dish. Crush 3-4 cloves of garlic and grate a block of gruyere. Spread the garlic and grated cheese evenly amongst the layers of potato. Pour over 100mls of double cream and top the whole dish with grated cheese.
Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees or until brown and bubbling.
Dauphinoise makes a perfect accompaniment to one of the ultimate winter meals – duck confit with shredded cabbage and lots of good red wine!
