Cook Book Club June: Comfort Food.

Thistles and Kiwis

Comfort food ….those dishes that make you feel warm and cosy, that cheer you up on a gloomy day, that always make you feel good. For me comfort food is anything with mashed potatoes, or a big plate of pasta with a pile of parmesan. In winter, a warming stew, a rich pie full of steak and mushroom, a fruit crumble for a weekend dessert. Even humble scrambled eggs on toast or a cheese, ham and tomato toastie can fall into this list.

With it being winter here, I turned for inspiration for a comfort dish with a twist to Diana Henry’s Roast Figs, Sugar Snow with the fitting tag line, food to warm the soul. In amongst the impossible to make (partridge, pheasant) or that I do anyway (Swedish meatballs) was nestled her take on that classic comfort food, sausages and mash. The sausages are baked in the oven with raisins that are first soaked in brandy (bring to the boil before soaking), sprigs of thyme, chunks of onion (I used small red ones I had) and apple. Sausages (quickly partly cooked until golden) are laid on top, drizzled with a little oil and as she suggests, a little sugar on the apples. Pour over some dry cider (I like this one from Nelson – note to American readers – this is proper cider with alcohol). Bake for around 50-60 minutes.

The dish should be golden brown and fragrant when cooked. She suggests serving it with mustard mash (adding a good spoonful of wholegrain mustard to mashed potatoes). We had it with broccoli and a nice French malbec.

Verdict? Very good. Do again? Yes for a change from ordinary sausages and mash in winter time.

Entered in the cook book club hosted by Jo of Brookford Kitchen Diaries.

Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer, good food and pretends to garden.

You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis.

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Published by Thistles and Kiwis

Loves summer, sunshine and cats. Beginner gardener, likes eating, cooking and reading about food

35 Comments

  2. I love this book but don’t use it often enough. I might make this recipe for Sunday night… Hubby would love it – and he’d have leftovers for when I’m in Sydney next week. Thanks for linking up.

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  4. That looks and sounds delicious – I think my ultimate comfort food is a shepherd’s pie, it’s allegedly the summer here (UK) so a few months to go before winter stews etc

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  11. I love sausage and mash, but detest cooked raisins so I would have to leave those out. Soups and stews are my go to comfort food in the winter months. Though we do have soup all year round – home made of course.

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  18. Pingback: If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea… 27/28 – Thistles and Kiwis

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