Five Comforting Things to Make Now

In this chaotic and worrying time, food can be a comfort. Official advice is changing so rapidly that it’s hard to make any recommendations on shopping  or sourcing things, so I’ll stick with what I know: some recipes for comfort food.

These five recipes are ones I love to cook and to eat, there’s something in the process of preparation that feels good.

New potato + red onion flatbreads

This is essentially a cheat’s way to a white pizza with potato. If you’d like to add a little more green, pile it with peppery salad leaves when it comes out of the oven.

Beetroot + caraway soda bread

Using soda is such a happy way to make bread: no waiting for rising and very little that can go wrong. You can use yoghurt let down with a couple of spoonfuls of milk instead of buttermilk if you like. It’s worth roasting the beetroot yourself rather than buying pre-cooked, as it provides a much more intense flavour.

Celeriac soup with spicy nut sprinkle

Keep any leftover spices in an airtight jar for up to six months, or put them on the table for extra sprinkling.

Focaccia with lemon, roast onions + grapes

This recipe, inspired by my brilliant friend Samin Nosrat, uses a brine to season the focaccia, evenly salting it to make it all the more delicious. You can skip the overnight proving and just use 4g yeast instead of ½ tsp (which is about 1g). Samin’s tip: To store, wrap in parchment and then keep in an airtight bag or container to preserve texture. Gently toast or reheat any leftover focaccia before serving. Alternatively, wrap tightly to freeze, then defrost and reheat before serving.

Squash + poppy seed toad in the hole (cover image)

Two carbs, no apologies. If I ever write an album, this will be the title. You can swap up the veg here: most root veg will work well instead of the squash, and leeks will work instead of the onions. Just make sure they are well roasted and not wet, as this will affect the rise of the Yorkshire.