Comfort and joy for the holidays

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This article was published 24/12/2018 (2770 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the thick of the holiday season, when cheer abounds, it is good to remember that emotional equation: there can be no joy without comfort.

Joy takes “filling up.” If you are empty, physically or emotionally, joy is pretty much unachievable.

Some aspects of comfort might be peculiar to individuals, but there are some comforts that are shared. It could be a favourite blanket under your chin on a cold night, or coming home to a quiet house after an evening of yuletide revelry, knowing that a pair of flannel pajamas are waiting just for you. Or maybe your comfort go-to also gives sustenance, like a warm bowl of homemade soup.

I love comfort food (if you love it, obviously it’s comfort). And at this time of year, I find it especially satisfying to leaf through cookbooks (usually the word “comfort” is somewhere in the title), looking for a new twist on an old favourite. There is a kind of joy in finding something that makes you want to head into the kitchen and cook at a pace compatible with pyjama pants and a hoodie.

Added to the list of titles out there which feature the word comfort — is Easy Comfort Food (Ryland, Peters & Small, 240 pp, $23.95). And comfort it is. Filled with 100 recipes that use the standard cheering ingredients — cheese, beans, cream, potatoes, chicken, beef, not to mention a chapter on sweet treats — this book has recipes that will fill families and guests alike. There are no fads here. Just good, warm food for a cold winter’s night.

The soup and the mushrooms on toast would both make a great meal for between Christmas and New Year’s Eve or something to enjoy late at night. The salmon kedgeree is a great light meal and all three would be just fine for company. Entertaining doesn’t always have to be both fancy and schmancy — your guests have probably had their fill of that at other tables.

These three recipes are excerpted from the collection

Creamy Cauliflower & Gruyère Soup

Serves 4

Try to find a small, creamy-white, whole head of cauliflower for this deliciously cheesy soup. Instead of Gruyère, you could add the same quantity of sharp, aged cheddar for “cauliflower gratin”-flavour.

30 ml (2 tbsp) butter

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 celery rib/stalk, chopped

1 small cauliflower, about 1 kg (2 lbs), cut into small pieces

1.5 litres (6 cups) vegetable or chicken stock

250 ml (1 cup) double/heavy cream

200 g (2 cups) Gruyère cheese, grated, plus extra to serve

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly chopped parsley and toasted wholemeal/whole-wheat bread, to serve

Heat the butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened but not browned.

Add the cauliflower pieces and stock and bring to the boil. Allow to boil for 25-30 minutes, until the cauliflower is really soft and breaking up in the stock.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process the mixture in batches until smooth. Return the purée to a clean saucepan. Add the cream and cheese and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese has all smoothly melted into the soup.

Season to taste with a little salt and black pepper. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and extra cheese and with hot buttered wholemeal/whole-wheat toast on the side.

Mushrooms on Toast

Serves 2

Another treat that’s good any time, these juicy mushrooms are rich and garlicky. Pile them on thick slices of hot buttered toast or crusty bread; if you’re feeling indulgent, add a spoonful of mascarpone.

30 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

2 shallots, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

150 g (6 oz) button mushrooms

60 ml (¼ cups) white wine

1 sprig thyme, plus extra to serve (optional)

2 slices thick wholemeal/whole-wheat bread or country-style sourdough

butter, for spreading

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a pan, add the shallots and fry gently for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Add the mushrooms, toss to coat in the garlicky oil, then add the white wine, thyme and pinch of salt. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, then bubble gently for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the juices have been absorbed.

When the mushrooms are nearly cooked, toast the bread on both sides and spread with butter. Season the mushrooms with pepper, check if they need any more salt, then pile onto the toast. Top with fresh thyme, if using, and serve.

Smoked Salmon Kedgeree

Serves 6

This party version of the Anglo-Indian dish from the days of the Raj is based on lightly smoked salmon, which gives it a luxurious flavour. You can use organic salmon and add a bit of smoked salmon at the end.

3 large eggs

250 g (8 oz) undyed skinless, boneless smoked haddock or cod fillet

250 g (8 oz) lightly smoked skinless, boneless salmon fillet or ordinary salmon fillet

45 ml (3 tbsp) sunflower oil or other light oil

1 onion, finely chopped

10 to 15 ml (2-3 tsp) good-quality mild curry powder or pilau rice seasoning

300 g (1½ cups) basmati rice

175 g (6 oz) cooked peeled prawns/shrimp, thawed if frozen

40 g (3 tbsp) soft butter

30 to 45 ml (2 to 3 tbsp) freshly squeezed lemon juice

45 ml (3 heaped tbsp) chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus a few whole leaves for decoration

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Boil the eggs in a small saucepan of boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes depending on the size of the eggs. Drain off the water, pour cold running water over the eggs, then leave to cool in cold water.

Put the smoked haddock and salmon into a larger pan, just cover with cold water and bring gradually to the boil. Once bubbling, take off the heat and cover with a lid or foil. Leave for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the fish. Reserve 600 ml (2½ cups) of the cooking water and set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan or casserole and fry the onion over a moderate heat for about 6-7 minutes until starting to turn dark brown at the edges. Sprinkle in the curry powder or rice seasoning to taste. Add the rice, stir again and pour in the reserved cooking water. Bring to the boil then turn the heat right down and cover the pan. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, shell and quarter the eggs. Set aside 6 quarters and roughly chop the rest. Flake the fish carefully, removing any bones. Once the rice cooked, fork it through and tip in the cooked fish, prawns/shrimp and eggs, cover the pan and leave for 5 minutes on a very low heat. Turn off the heat, add the butter, season with the lemon juice and a little salt and pepper and fork through the chopped coriander/cilantro. Serve on a warm platter decorated with the quartered eggs and the remaining coriander/cilantro leaves.

Note: Keep covered in the pan for about 15 to 20 minutes before serving, or transfer to a very low oven and keep it for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Twitter: @WendyKinginWpg