Neven Maguire, Rachel Allen, Nadiya Hussein and more share their comfort food recipes
Top cooks share their recipes for cosy days.
Comfort food does not have to be fancy, says top chef Neven Maguire. In fact, he says, the best food to nourish the soul is found through the simplest of recipes. "There’s nothing like a steaming bowl of stew," he says. Learning the basic technique of stewing means that we are all just hours away from the most comforting meal ever. "Once you’ve mastered the technique you can swap the meat and vegetables you use. I love one-pot dinners that slowly cook while you’re busy with other things. The flavour only improves with time, so keep it covered for up to three days in the fridge."
Beef and carrot hotpot
Comfort in a bowl, this stew is easy and delicious
Servings
4Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
60 minsTotal Time
1 hours 10 minsCourse
MainIngredients
25g (1oz) plain flour
300g (11oz) stewing steak pieces
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
4 carrots, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
600ml (1 pint) beef or chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
500g (1lb 2oz) baby new potatoes, halved
5g (¼oz) fresh flat-leaf parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Put the flour in a bowl and season, then add the beef pieces and toss until evenly coated. Heat a flameproof casserole or heavy-based pan over a medium to high heat. Add the oil, then add the beef and quickly sear it on all sides until golden brown.
Add the onion and carrots to the casserole, stirring to coat. Sauté for a couple of minutes, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1–2 minutes, then add the stock and Worcestershire sauce. Add the baby potatoes, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, until meltingly tender but still holding their shape.
Strip the leaves from the parsley and roughly chop. Ladle the beef and carrot hot pot into bowls and scatter over the parsley to serve.
'Learn to Cook with Neven' by Neven Maguire is published by Gill Books, priced €22.99.
The subject of her new book is also Rachel Allen's go-to comfort food. "Anyone who knows me knows that I am passionate about soup! There's no better food to warm the heart and restore the soul," she says. "I love this one because it reminds me of my favourite food as a child, and I still love it now. A meal in a bowl, with delicious but unchallenging flavours, it’s a great one for feeding a crowd. If you want to make any of the elements of this soup in advance, the meatballs can be made and frozen, then thawed and cooked and the tomato soup can also be frozen."
Pork and fennel meatball soup
With a little preparation, this freezer-friendly pork and fennel meatball soup is perfect for a weeknight dinner
Servings
6Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
50 minsTotal Time
60 minsCourse
MainIngredients
For the soup:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped 1 large celery stalk, chopped (see note)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp sugar
200ml cream (regular or double)
400–600ml chicken stock
150g spaghetti, broken into little bits
For the meatballs:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, crushed or finely grated
2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground
450g minced pork
15g butter
To serve:
a couple of handfuls of finely grated Parmesan
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Method
First, make the tomato soup. Place the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the chopped onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a butter wrapper or a piece of parchment paper, and the saucepan lid, then turn the heat down to low and cook for about 10–12 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, stirring every few minutes to prevent them sticking.
Add the tomatoes and sugar, season with more salt and pepper, and cook over a medium to high heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are melted through the sauce. Add the cream and boil for 3 minutes, then take off the heat.
Blend the sauce until completely smooth, then put back into the saucepan and add the stock to thin it out to the required consistency – you may want the soup a bit thicker, in which case just add 400–500ml of stock. Season to taste and set aside.
To make the meatballs, place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan and add the finely chopped onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then cook over a low heat, covered with a butter wrapper or a piece of parchment paper and the saucepan lid, until the onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Take off the heat, tip the onions into a mixing bowl and allow to cool (see note overleaf).
While the onions are cooling, toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium to high heat. Crush them well, then add to the onions. Add the minced pork and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, then pick off ½ a teaspoonful of the mixture and cook it in a frying pan with a little olive oil and taste to check for seasoning. Add more salt, pepper or ground fennel if necessary, then, when you’re happy with the flavour, shape the meatballs. Make each one about 25g in weight (like a large walnut in its shell) – you should get about 20. Set them aside.
When you’re ready to cook the meatballs, place a large frying pan on a medium heat and add the remaining olive oil and the butter (the butter helps the meatballs to brown really nicely). Once the butter has melted and foamed, add the meatballs and cook, tossing regularly, for about 8–10 minutes, until they are cooked through. Turn the heat down to low once they start to take on a golden hue.
While the meatballs are cooking, cook the spaghetti. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add a good pinch of salt, then add the broken pasta. Stir and allow to cook for 6–8 minutes, until al dente, then drain.
To serve, bring the tomato soup to steaming point and stir in the cooked pasta. Divide among bowls, then top with the meatballs and scatter finely grated Parmesan and chopped parsley over the top.
'Soup Broth Bread’ by Rachel Allen is published by Michael Joseph and is available in shops and online now.
Gaz Smith is the owner of two of Dublin’s most renowned restaurants, Michael’s Mount Merrion and Little Mike’s, and Rick Higgins is a fourth-generation butcher who runs Higgins Family Butcher. They say that comfort food is found in long, slow cooking. "Lamb shanks have fallen out of fashion a little over the last few years, but I don’t know why," says Gaz. "They’re super forgiving, lovely and tasty and they’re foolproof to cook too. It’s also a handy way to cook lamb for just one or two people without the faff of roasting a whole shoulder or leg." Rick says that talking to your butcher about the best cut of meat for a dish like this is key. "When you’re getting the lamb shanks, ask for the hind legs. These have a much better fat and flavour content."
Lamb shanks with dill, turmeric and chilli
This is a handy way to cook lamb for just one or two people without the faff of roasting a whole shoulder or leg. Just adjust the marinade accordingly.
Servings
2Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
3 hours 0 minsTotal Time
3 hours 10 minsCourse
MainIngredients
2 hind lamb shanks
300ml beef stock
For the marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium-heat fresh long red chillies, thinly sliced (reserve some for garnish)
1 x 5cm cube of ginger, peeled and finely grated
80ml vegetable oil
2 tbsp ground turmeric
2 heaped tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp crushed hazelnuts
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
4 good pinches of fine sea salt
2 good cracks of freshly ground black pepper
To garnish:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
A handful of pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Put all the marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine together well. You can also put this in a blender if you prefer.
Lightly score the skin of the lamb shanks using a small sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern, spaced 2.5cm apart. Rub the marinade all over the lamb, muttering, ‘It puts the turmeric on its skin or else it gets the hose again’ as you do.
Place the lamb shanks in a baking dish, casserole or a dish that you can cover tightly with tin foil. You need them to be well covered as they cook. Add the beef stock to the bottom of the dish or casserole and cover securely with the foil and/or a lid.
Roast the shanks in the oven for 1 hour, then reduce the temperature to 160°C and cook for a further 2 hours. If you want to nip off to the pub for a while, turn the oven down to 110°C and cook for 3 hours.
When you’re ready to serve, give the lamb a final dressing with the lemon juice and scatter the dill, mint, pistachios and reserved chilli on top.
And For Mains is available now (€40) in-store at Michaels Mount Merrion, Little Mikes and Higgins Family Butcher, Sutton. For online and corporate orders, see www.andformains.ie
She was crowned winner of 2015's Great British Bake Off and has become a household name thanks to her no-nonsense approach to cooking. To Nadiya, comfort food is all about the emotion it evokes. "Comfort food for me is warmth, feeling nourished and being happy from the inside out." That's why this mac and cheese is her go-to recipe. "This is my kids’ slightly psychedelic version, made using their favourite puffed cheesy crisps, which they used to devour as youngsters. The extra cheesiness and bright orange colour from the cheese puffs blitzed to a powder is mixed with the mac and topped with breadcrumbs. It’s fun, it’s delicious and it’s bright!" The perfect recipe to cheer you up on a rainy day.Â
Mac and cheesy
Cheese puff-topped mac and cheese? Yes please
Servings
8Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
50 minsTotal Time
60 minsCourse
MainIngredients
400g macaroni pasta
30g unsalted butter
3 tablespoons plain flour
(30g) 600ml whole milk 170ml evaporated milk
1 teaspoon yeast extract
450g Cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
8 x 16.5g packs of cheese puffs, blended to a powder
50g breadcrumbs cheese puff crumbs
50g Cheddar cheese, grated
Method
Start by cooking the macaroni as per the instructions. When the macaroni is cooked, drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C.
Make the sauce by putting the butter in a saucepan and popping onto a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk in. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking all the time until incorporated.
When the mixture begins to thicken, add the evaporated milk and yeast extract and cook until the mixture is thick. Take off the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Add the cheese to the sauce and mix in until melted. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and half the cheese puffs, then add the macaroni and mix through. Tip it into an ovenproof dish and level off the top.
Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, remaining cheese puffs and the grated cheese.
Bake for 30–35 minutes. Take out and leave for 10 minutes before eating.
Nadiya’s Fast Flavours by Nadiya Hussain is published by Penguin Michael Joseph. Photography: Chris Terry
As the culinary director of the EATGalway restaurant group and founder of Food on the Edge, chef JP McMahon knows a thing or two about what people like to eat. At home on a cold winter's day, he will always lean towards a steaming pie. "I feel pies are extremely comforting, both to eat and to make," he says. "This Dingle Pie recipe is one of my favourites. I enjoy the process of making the pastry and the filling separately, and bringing them together to produce a wonderful complete meal."
Dingle pies
Pastry tucked around slow-cooked lamb - a true Irish comfort food
Servings
6Preparation Time
60 minsCooking Time
2 hours 0 minsTotal Time
3 hours 0 minsCourse
MainIngredients
For the pastry:
300 g/10 ½ oz plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
150 g/5 ¼ oz cold butter, cubed
3 eggs, beaten, one for brushing
½ tsp sea salt
For the filling:
50 g/2 oz butter 1 onion, diced
Leaves of a few sprigs of thyme, sage and rosemary, finely chopped
500 g/1 lb 2 oz mutton, diced
50 g/2 oz plain flour
450 ml/15 fl oz lamb stock
Sea salt
Method
To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter and then add one egg. Use a tablespoon or two of ice-cold water to bring the dough together if required.
Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
When ready, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut into 6 rounds with a 10-cm/ 4-inch-diameter pastry cutter and 6 rounds with a 14-cm/5½-inch circular pastry cutter.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the onion with the herbs for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the mutton to the pan and brown all over.
When nicely coloured, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes to make a paste.
Add the lamb stock, reduce the heat and simmer for 1–1½ hours until the mutton is extremely tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Place a quarter of the mutton mixture into the middle of the 6 larger pastry rounds. Brush the sides with a little water and cover with the remaining four lids.
Make a small circular hole in the centre of each pie. Brush each pie with the remaining egg and crimp the edges with a fork.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the filling is hot and the pastry tops are a golden brown.
As featured in The Irish Cookbook by JP McMahon published by Phaidon.
"I'm not a big cereal fan - I've never loved breakfast cereal the way lots of people do. I do love porridge oats, though, and I think there is nothing more comforting than a big bowl of warm porridge on a winter's morning." Derval says that when the cold mornings arrive, a bowl of steaming oats is key to a good morning. "It's simple, I need them. Winter porridge always makes me think of wild Irish weather and running up hills in Dalgan Park on a Sunday morning."
Porridge
Perfect porridge all year round with this foolproof method
Servings
1Cooking Time
5 minsTotal Time
5 minsCourse
MainIngredients
50g porridge oats
120ml milk
120ml water
1 tbsp wheatgerm
Method
Combine the oats, milk and water in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Cook gently, stirring occasionally until the porridge is soft and creamy.
Pour the porridge into a serving bowl, sprinkle over the wheatgerm and serve.
Toppings
Chopped bananas, crushed pecans and a drizzle of agave syrup.
Blueberries and sliced strawberries.
Grated apples and crushed raw cashews.
Chopped medjool dates and a drizzle of agave.
