Winter is one of the best seasons for food. With the cold weather there is nothing better than a hearty stew, mulled wine or a warm pudding.
Here is a selection of our favourite recipes we have discovered that are just right for the winter season.
Sausage, Kale and Barley Stew
Serves 4
We recommend you use the Morso multicocotte with griddle lid for this recipe.
Ingredients
• 3 tbsp oil, for griddle lid
• 8 sausages
• 2 red or white onions, sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 240g pearl barley, rinsed with cold water
• 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves finely chopped
• 1 litre chicken or veg stock
• Salt and black pepper
• 300g Kale, leaves stripped from the stalks and roughly chopped
Instructions
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the griddle lid of the multicocotte. Add all of the sausages and grill for 10-12 minutes, turning now and then, until nicely browned all over. Transfer the sausages to a plate and set aside.
• Add another 1 tbsp of oil to the multicocotte. Gently fry the onion and carrot for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
• Add the barley, stir for a minute, then add the rosemary and stock. Season well with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the sausages to the multicottle. Simmer for another 20 minutes.
• Add the chopped kale and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until wilted.
• Check the seasoning before serving.
Photograph: Helen Cathcart/The Guardian
This recipe was adapted from Kirsty Hale’s recipe from Riverford Organic Farms
Chicory, Walnut and Gorgonzola Bechamel Lasagne
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
• 40g unsalted butter, plus 1 tbsp extra for cooking the chicory
• 40g plain flour
• 600ml milk
• Nutmeg, for grating
• Salt and black pepper
• 200g gorgonzola, cubed
• Extra virgin olive oil
•4 heads of chicory (a mixture of white and red works well), hard white cores removed, cut into eight segments lengthways
• 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• A handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 80g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 9 sheets of lasagne egg pasta
• 150g mozzarella, sliced
• 20g parmesan, grated
Instructions
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease the Morso Kit Oven Dish.
• Melt the butter in a nonstick saucepan (we recommend the Morso Saute Pan) over a medium heat, then add the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute or so, until the roux is starting to bubble. Turn the heat down and add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Once you have a smooth sauce, cook it for about 10 more minutes, whisking constantly while it thickens.
• Add a good grating of nutmeg to the sauce and a generous grind of black pepper, then the Gorgonzola. Melt it over the heat for a couple of minutes, whisking until you have a smooth, creamy bechamel. Season with salt to taste.
• Heat 1 tbsp of the butter and the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and add most of the thyme leaves, the chicory segments, cut-side down – depending on the size of your pan, you may need to work in batches. Cook for a few minutes, until the underside of the chicory is starting to caramelise, and then flip them over. Grind over some black pepper, add the lemon juice and parsley, and cook for a further five minutes, until glossy and caramelised on each side.
• Lay some of the chicory on the base of the greased baking tin, packing it quite tightly, and scatter over some of the walnuts, then top with some of the Gorgonzola bechamel. Lie three of the pasta sheets on top and repeat the process with the remaining ingredients for two more layers. Top the last layer of pasta with mozzarella, parmesan and thyme.
• Bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes until golden on top and the bechamel is bubbling up the sides of the tin. Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes and then serve.
Photograph: Helen Cathcart/The Guardian
We loved this recipe by Rosie Birkett – A Lot On Her Plate
Mulled Quince Cider
Serves 4
This warm and spicy alcoholic drink is absolutely delicious. It puts the full-bodied poaching syrup to excellent use. You wont be able to get enough of this sweet, spicy tipple. It will beat the cold weather.
We recommend the Morso Saute Pan With Lid with this recipe.
Ingredients
• 500ml water
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 3 juniper berries
• 3 quinces, cored and sliced into 8 wedges
• 600ml dry cider
Instructions
• Dissolve 50g of the caster sugar in the water over a gentle heat, stirring regularly. Add the spices and the quince.
• Cover with the lid and simmer slowly for two hours, topping up with a little water if necessary. You should be left with a saucepan of amber-coloured fruit and a gorgeous spiced syrup. Strain the syrup, setting aside the quince to have with some ice-cream or in your morning porridge.
• Mix the cider with the syrup and heat gently and briefly so as not to let all of the alcohol evaporate.
Photograph: Helen Cathcart/The Guardian
Recipe from Olia Hercules Oliahercules.com
