Gather the gang for a warming winter feed

If January is for hunkering down and recharging, then February, for me at least, is about re-opening my home and embracing my inner hostess. The days still feel short, cold and a little bit bleak, but entertaining through the late winter makes it that bit more bearable. In fact, I’d go as far as saying it is this time of year that I love having people round the most – no need to venture out of the house to see family and friends, invite them to come to you. Everyone can stay warm and cosy, and no one has to dress up. (Although, I’ve been known to throw a themed evening and am still trying desperately hard for “murder mystery” dinners to have a resurrection.)

Regardless of how fancy (or not) you want to go, simply having people over and socialising in the comfort of your own home is always a joy, and really shouldn’t be taxing or stressful.

One of my rules when it comes to hosting is that less is more. If you are doing a roast joint of meat, for example, you only really need one or two good side dishes to accompany it. Time your main, and leave it to tick away in the oven at the same time as a mega side.

Jansson’s temptation (potatoes layered with cream, anchovies and onion) is a flavour-packed dish, and this celeriac version will be glorious alongside almost any roast – a slow-cooked shoulder of pork, a whole roast chicken, or even a slice of glazed ham. Add one other, very simple side – some buttery carrots or a mustardy salad – and that would be perfect. Simple and comforting, yet also considered. Because I really like to lean into winter comfort, what else am I craving right now? Warming puddings. This clementine and ginger self-saucing pudding is both nostalgic and somehow elegant. Any place that has dessert served straight from the oven to the table with a big spoon and jug of cream is exactly where I want to be.

Jansson’s temptation with celeriac

Serves 6-8. Ready in 75 minutes.

This Swedish classic is one of my all-time favourite potato side dishes. A creamy, anchovy-laden bake that is not a million miles away from a (potentially more familiar) gratin dauphinoise. With celeriac being at its best right now, I like to mix it up and go for a 50/50 ratio of celeriac and potato – it lightens the dish ever so slightly and adds a subtle sweet, nutty flavour.

celeriac 550-600g, peeled
baking potatoes 2, around 600g, peeled
whole milk 400ml
double cream 300ml
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
unsalted butter 45g
onions 2, peeled and finely sliced
thyme a few sprigs
anchovies 10
panko or bread crumbs 20g
olive oil

Preheat your oven to 200/gas mark 6. Cut the celeriac and potatoes into 1cm-thick slices, then slice them into long, thin matchsticks. Place them all in a large pan, cover with the milk and cream and season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

At the same time, place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter and onions. Fry for 5 minutes, picking in half of the thyme leaves, until the onions have started to soften and colour a little.

When everything is ready, layer up the vegetables in a dish measuring about 30 x 20cm. Start with a third of the potato and celeriac, half of the sautéed onions, and tear over 5 of the anchovies. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients, finishing with a layer of the potato and celeriac, making sure to spoon over any creamy milk from the pan. Evenly sprinkle over the panko or breadcrumbs, pick over the remaining thyme, then drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the hot oven for 45-50 minutes, until golden on top and bubbling around the sides.

Clementine and ginger puddle pudding

Serves 6. Ready in 1 hour 15 minutes.

The most involved part of this recipe is whisking egg whites and folding them into the cake batter, which I have hopefully made even easier by blitzing in a food processor. Other than that small step, it really is straightforward. It is simple enough to be made midweek, just because you want to, but also special enough to be made if friends come round for dinner.

unsalted butter 70g, at room temperature
caster sugar 200g
clementines 2
lemon 1
self-raising flour 65g
fine sea salt ¼ tsp
ground ginger ¼ tsp
whole milk 150ml
double cream 150ml, plus extra to serve
vanilla extract 1 tsp
eggs 3, large, separated
icing sugar 2 tbsp

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Place the butter in a food processor with the sugar and blitz until smooth.

Finely grate in the zest of one of the clementines and the lemon. Add the self-raising flour, sea salt and ground ginger, then the milk, cream, vanilla extract and egg yolks. Squeeze the juice of the clementines and lemon into a measuring jug (you need 100ml). Add to the food processor bowl and blitz the ingredients together. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks, then fold into the rest of the mixture.

Spoon into a deep, oval ceramic pie dish, around 25cm, then place that into a snug roasting tray. Very carefully fill the roasting tray with just-boiled water, so it comes halfway up the sides of the ceramic dish and place the tray in the oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the top is golden and set, but you can still see that the pudding is wobbly.

Carefully remove the ceramic dish from the roasting tray, leave for a couple of minutes, then sift over the icing sugar. Serve in bowls, with a big spoon to scoop up all sauce at the bottom. With extra cream on the side, if you like.