Chefs and restaurateurs share their go-to comfort dishes
voices
Chicken pie
“Soup-y, stew-y and meaty, with a perfect, buttery crust – pie is the ultimate January food. I prefer lighter meats, such as rabbit or chicken (I’m half-American, so chicken pot pies are my thing) cooked with wine, thyme, shallots, garlic and chicken stock. I don’t want a béchamel or thick, floury sauce; I want rich, dripping juices. And, 100%, I’m making my shortcrust pastry – you’ll get the flakiest results by shortening your flour with butter by hand, no machines. With pie, I want mashed potatoes: half-potato, half-butter and really well seasoned.” Anna Søgaard, head chef, Bistro Freddie, London
Siu mai dumplings
“I’m from Kuala Lumpur, and during monsoon season, it was an after-school treat to eat dim sum at my local Chinese-Malaysian shophouse. Shophouses are a combination of shop, restaurant and roadside stall, with living quarters above. Those dumplings remain some of the most comforting foods I’ve ever eaten. In winter, I make batches of siu mai, flavoured with leek, white pepper, ginger, prawns and minced pork or sausagemeat. Served with soy, black vinegar or crispy chilli oil, they’re a delicious quick meal.” Radhika Mohandas, chef and co-owner, Dorshi, Bridport
Lasagne
In the depths of winter, the comforting hug a lasagne provides can’t be refused. It evokes many memories: eating it as a kid, thinking we were having something fancy, or working in Italian kitchens and getting lasagne on my break. In the long stretch of a British January, it’s the taste of a Mediterranean summer I wish would arrive sooner rather than later. Dave Olejnik, owner, Laynes and Sarto, Leeds
Saturday soup
“Growing up, I was the middle of five children, and when Mum cooked this Caribbean soup (usually eaten on Saturdays), we’d be rubbing our hands together. Flavoured with thyme, spring onion, Jamaican pimento and scotch bonnet, it’s a hearty, stew-like dish that warms the spirit. It includes carrot, yam and sweet potato, plus beef, but you can use chicken, goat or mutton. Mum grated in pumpkin, too. Caribbean-style cornmeal dumplings are key – we always argued about how many we were getting!” Dom Taylor, chef-patron, The Good Front Room, London
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