Eunice Power: Two comfort cooking recipes that are perfect for cosy autumn evenings

Lean on creature comforts of home when you are cooking

Beetroot Risotto with a feta chilli finish: Picture: Chani Anderson

October is my favourite time of the year. I love the colours of the leaves, the chillier, longer evenings, and that cosy, homely feel in the house.

It’s the season for cooking, when the colder weather makes you want to lean in to the creature comforts of home.

I have really leaned into my winter habit of lighting a candle as soon as I come in the door in the evening, followed by the fire, before settling into cooking. The food this time of year is as beautiful as the leaves, from beetroot to pumpkin to cavolo nero.

I try to plan a little in advance to avoid the last-minute shop, though I’m pretty unsuccessful at it. As soon as I go to lay my hand on something, be it the onion or the garlic I was sure I had, someone else has got there before me.

Planning was the theme over coffee with friends this morning, when we were all mapping out winter dinner parties. For some, they exist only in the imagination, as they haven’t hosted in years, but others take the business of entertaining very seriously!

I have a big chutney-making weekend planned, using up the last of the tomatoes, pears and apples from the garden. I’m also happy to report that I can still pick a bunch of fabulous flowers for the house, with the dahlias, nerines and anemones all still going strong. You reap what you sow, so let that be a reminder to plant spring bulbs!

Unlike summer, when there’s pressure to be out in the garden, autumn gives you permission to stay in and snuggle up. This week’s recipes, spiced sticky chicken with plums and a beetroot risotto, are made for exactly that. Enjoy!

Spiced Sticky Chicken, Plums and Pancakes

recipe by:Aishling Moore

In our house, as the kids were growing up, crispy duck and pancakes from our local Chinese restaurant was a very special treat. This recipe is a take on spiced crispy duck pancakes, using chicken and a lovely fresh plum sauce.

Servings

4

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 3 skinless chicken breasts

• Sea salt

• 1 tsp freshly ground

• white pepper

• 2 tsp Chinese five spice

• Drizzle groundnut oil

• Sunflower oil

• 10cm piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

• 3 plums, halved, stones removed and discarded, flesh roughly chopped

• 2 star anise

• 3 tbsp soft dark brown sugar

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and sliced into

• 5 cm strips

• ½ cucumber, trimmed and cut into matchsticks

• 12 Chinese-style pancakes

Method

1. Put the chicken breasts into a bowl and add some sea salt, the white pepper and Chinese five spice. Add a drizzle of groundnut oil and toss everything together.

2. Put a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a little more oil. Lay in the chicken breasts, scraping any marinade from the bowl onto the meat too. Cook for around 8 minutes, until the chicken is charred.

3. Flip the chicken over and cook for 6-8 minutes more until cooked through and gnarly. Transfer to a plate to rest.

4. Meanwhile, wipe the pan clean and put it back on the hob over a medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil and the chopped ginger, and fry for a minute.

5. Add the chopped plums, star anise and 4 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil and let the fruit soften for a couple of minutes.

6. Add the sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce and stir well. Bring to a simmer and leave to bubble and soften for another5-10 minutes, until the sauce is sticky and rich. Add a splash more water if the sauce is thickening before the plums have softened enough.

7. When the sauce is ready, slice and shred the chicken.

8. Transfer the chicken to a platter with the sliced spring onions and cucumber. Serve with the warm pancakes and a bowl of the sticky plum sauce on the side.

Earthy, vibrant and bright, this beetroot risotto is as beautiful as it is delicious. Ready-cooked beetroot makes it quick, with half whizzed through for a gorgeous colour and the rest chopped for texture.

When I am catering, arancini are often on my canape menu.

To make arancini, follow the recipe below (leaving off the feta and parsley topping), spread it out in a roasting tin to cool quickly, and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour.

Once chilled, roll the risotto into bite-sized balls (using 300g of rice, this recipe will make about 75 canapé-size).

Dust each ball in flour, dip it in beaten egg, and roll it in breadcrumbs. Deep fry at 170°C for 5-6 minutes until golden and crispy.

Beetroot Risotto with Feta, Lemon and Parsley

recipe by:Aishling Moore

The sweetness of the beetroot is balanced by a squeeze of lemon, salty feta and fresh parsley. Lemons vary in size and quantity of juice so add the lemon juice bit by bit until you are satisfied with the flavour. Too much lemon juice can destroy the dish.

Servings

4

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 litre hot vegetable stock

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve

• 2 onions, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 300g risotto rice (arborio or carnaroli)

• 175ml white wine

• 500g ready-cooked beetroot

• 85g freshly grated Parmesan

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 150g feta, crumbled

• Large handful of flat leaf parsley, finely sliced

• Salt, black pepper

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deepfrying pan and cook the onions with some seasoning for 10 minutes until soft.

2. Add the garlic and cook for 1minute.

3. Tip in the rice and stir until every grain is coated, then pour in the wine and bubble for 5 minutes.

4. Add the hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring, only adding more once the previous batch has been absorbed, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite, al dente.

5. Never let the rice dry out and keep stirring.

6. Meanwhile, whizz half the beetroot in a small blender until smooth, and chop the remainder.

7. Once the rice is cooked, stir through the whizzed and chopped beetroot, the Parmesan and the ha;f the lemon juice, taste and see if you need more lemon juice.

8. If the risotto is a little thick, loosen it with a splash more stock.

9. Add salt and pepper to taste.

10. Toss the crumbled feta with the lemon zest and parsley if using.

11. Divide the risotto between 4 warmed plates, scatter the feta mixture over the top and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

12. Leftovers: Keep covered in the fridge for up to three days.

13. Reheat gently in a pan with a little extra stock to loosen it.