North Italian lamb cooked in milk. Photo / Babiche Martens
Winter means getting cosy - blankets, roaring fires, red wine, hot chocolate. Time to curl up with a bowl of delicious food - basic but heart- and soul-warming.
Risotto is this kind of food. One pan, seasonal ingredients, the best quality stock and just a little
time is all that is needed to produce such a soothing dish. Pumpkin works well and is complemented by sweet currants, shallots and that perfect winter herb - rosemary.
Then there's lamb cooked very slowly in milk with bay leaves and generous amounts of whole garlic cloves.
This method of cooking produces the most tender of meat, sweet and juicy, literally falling off the bones and best of all the dish is bunged in the oven, and you don't even have to look at it for three hours.
A golden crust forms as the milk separates. It's absolutely scrumptious and a dish worthy of a few superlatives when brought to the table.
I know hot chocolate doesn't really make for much of a recipe but everyone knows a good one from a bad and you don't need packet stuff to make the best ever. Sipping a mug full of spicy, fragrant and creamy hot chocolate can be a fab way to end a meal before heading off to bed.
