lambanddriedmint.A littlerice or orzo through
thesoupturnsit into a meal.PeterKuruvita
NOOSABEACHHOUSE,QUEENSLAND
Stewswithpulsesarethetypeofrich,warmingand
satisfyingmealsyoucanhaveina bowlsnuggledup
infrontoftheheater.Theyremindmeofcamping
tripsandofmymum’s pressure-cooker one-pot meals.MattMoran
ARIA,SYDNEY
A Thaigreencurrywithfishis alwaysa winner.
Thespicereallywarmsyoufromtheinside,and
it’sfilling.I gravitatetowardsbarramundi,blue-eye
trevallaorcodasthefishofchoice,becausethey
holdwell.Otherwiseit’shardtobeatthemelt-in-
your-mouthtextureofbraisedlambshoulder.I also
alwayshavea masterstock in the freezer, it’s perfect
forpoachedchicken.DanielleAlvarez
FRED’S,SYDNEY
Ribollita.Handsdown.It’sa Tuscanbread-and-
beansoupmadewithlotsofcavolonero.It’shearty,
super-nourishingandis mydefinitionofcomfort
food.Sweatonions,carrots,celery,somechopped
rosemaryandchilliflakesinlotsofoliveoiland
pancettafatfora longtime,lowandslow– about
anhour.Thenaddinborlottibeansintheirliquid,
chickenstock,a parmesanrindif youhaveit,a bunch
ofcavolonerostrippedoffthestemandsimmerfor
halfanhour.Addinsomestalesourdoughwiththe
crustscutoff,thenletthatsimmerandthickenfor
another 15 minutes.Servewithgratedparmesan
and lots of new-season olive oil on top.●Short
orderchilliandthejuiceofa lemonandfinishwith
twobighandfulsofrocketandgratedparmesan.
A quickcomforthack?It hastobebreakfast
fordinner– a baconandegg sandwich with loads
ofWorcestershiresauce.JosephAbboud
RUMI,MELBOURNE
Comforttomeis hotyoghurtsoupwithmum’sshish
barak.It’sa soupofcookednaturalyoghurt,witha
littleeggyolktostopit splitting.Theshishbarakare
a Lebanese tortellini-shaped dumpling with mincedKitchenessentials
Heavy-basedsaucepans,
casseroles,stockpotsand
slow-cookersmakewinter
cookinga breeze.Asdo
a goodblender,anoven
witha timer,anda pie
press.If youalsohavea
woodfired oven, lucky you.Minestrone
MAGGIEBEER,CHEFANDAUTHOR
“Aminestronefullofvegetables,beansandcavolonero,witha dashofextra-
virgin olive oil and grated parmesan says winter to me,” says Maggie Beer.Gatherallthevegyouhave–leeks,carrots,potatoes,pumpkin. Cutintodice
andsautéingenerousamountofoilforabout8 minuteswithfreshherbs,a can
ofcrushedtomatoesand500mlchickenstock. Simmeruntilsoftened,thenadd
2 cupscookedcannellinibeans. Addchoppedcavoloneroandcookjustuntil
thegreensarelimp.Addsomestalebreadif youhaveit andallowit alltosimmer.
Topwitha good dash of good Aussieextra-virgin oliveoil andgrated parmesan
to serve.STARTWITHCARBS
Pasta,lentils,chickpeas,rice,
polenta,puffpastry,filo.GIVEITBODY
Frozenstock,goodbutter,richcheese,
yoghurt,pancetta,tomatopassata.BUILDFLAVOUR
Chilliflakes,anchovies,garlic,soysauce,
fermentedchilli,extra-virginoliveoil,
parmesan,honey,lemon,ginger, vinegar.BULKITUP
Cavolonero,freshherbs,bittergreens,
root vegetables, large cuts of meat.ADDSOMEEXTRAS
A glass(ora bottle)ofmourvèdre,
Guinness,curedmeats,pickles,pâté,
Milo, a secret stash of chocolate.WINTER COMFORT 10156 GOURMET TRAVELLER