A Winter Fireside Supper
January. The year is new but the dark is still long. Six people, two bottles of red, a stew that has cooked since morning. No one wants to be anywhere else.
TrackParent Visit
Steps
- 01Morning — start the stew, salt the chicory, set the table early.
- 02Afternoon — make the pot de crème, refrigerate.
- 03Hour before — mash the potatoes with butter and warm milk just before serving.
- 04Hostess gift: a small jar of homemade chutney, or a bar of very dark chocolate.
Notes
- — Menu: a slow-braised beef stew with carrots and onions, mashed potatoes, a chicory salad, a chocolate pot de crème.
- — Drinks: a robust red wine, a pot of mint tea after dinner.
- — Table: pull it close to the fire if you can. Wool runner. White plates. A single low bowl of greenery — eucalyptus or pine.