Dark Night In

25/11 DARK NIGHT IN

When the darkness of winter creeps over the world, fleeting moments of sunlight pass all in the blink of an eye. The darkness does bring comfort. Turning on the twinkling kitchen lights as steam rises from bubbling pots and pans - that’s the idea at least. To spend a dark evening dancing around your kitchen like the goblins and spirits on bald mountain – taming the beast of the night before the witching hour.

This recipe came from one such evening, one such cauldron and one such night beast (yours truly). The starch from the potatoes emulsifies with the roasting oils and transforms this simple recipe of two ingredients into a decadent bowl of winter comfort. I have included the two versions that are regular suppers – both warm the soul. One uses rosemary to roast the cauliflower, creating a rich woody soup. The other uses curry powder for roasting, infusing a heady spiciness to the soup. Both are the right kind of kitchen warmth that will tame the darkness of winter and turn every kitchen into a place of nighttime concoctions.
1 Cauliflower

Ingredients (all approximate) - 

2 Potatoes

Olive oil/knob of butter

1 Rosemary Sprig OR 1 tbl curry powder

Salt + Pepper

Pumpkin seeds (entirely optional)

What I did - 

ROAST the living daylights out of the cauliflower. Break into white tufts and sprinkle with a blizzard of salt, pepper and rosemary leaves/curry. Blitz in a 200degree oven for an hour or more. until they have transformed into a charred forrest – about 45 minute.

As the oven roasts, boil the peeled potatoes (cut into small chunks) in about 500mls of water. Until they are softened – about 15 minutes. Turn the water off and leave until the cauliflower is ready. Scrape all the roasting tin; the oils, the spices, salt and of course cauliflower into the pot. Using a stick blender, blitz until it becomes a thick smooth creamy emulsion. Add a small know of butter or olive oil and blitz again, the fat will help the soup thicken and become creamy without the need for any dairy.

Season with any additional salt/pepper/rosemary/curry powder to taste – soup always fluctuates to each cook. Serve very hot in small bowls – there’s toning better then getting lots of small bowls of soup. Add some pumpkin seeds as a garnish and to add a nutty crunch.

JG

Peachy Hot Bed

21/11 HOT BED

We all want to dive under a blanket at the best of times, a hot warm blanket to melt under while the winter sets in. These are the times when energy is at an all time low, and you really want to cover yourself and forget about the rest of the world. 

Indeed this recipe is found hiding under its own crumbly blanket. A soft bed of fleshy, sweet and hot fruit robed in a dusting of glorious crumbs. The only thing this bed needs is a good spoon. And you have two choices - big spoon or little spoon. Also both benefit from cream.

Ingredients (all approximate) - 

3 Old Peaches
75g Butter
75g Sugar
75g Flour


What I did - 

Arrange the slightly old soggy peaches around a small baking dish (this is a small recipe for three to four at most). They should all be standing on their backs, the thin gill of the meat upwards.

In another bowl rub the butter into the flour and sugar until you get a thick gloopy crumb. Sprinkle over the peaches as evenly as possible - don't press it down, the lighter it falls the more the preaches melt and the crumb stay loose in the oven.

Bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes or so - just before the crumbs start to catch. The more heat this is exposed to the more the fruit melts and crumb crisps.

Eat directly out of the dish if there's only two of you, or glooped in cream with friends. The best way to be.

JG