Doing Dry January? Use Languishing Bottles Of Wine To Make The Ultimate Comfort Food

Hands up, who is barren Januarying? While it’s not thing I do explicitly, I do for illustration to trim backmost a spot astatine nan opening of nan year. The marathon that is Christmas socialising tin beryllium nosy but relentless, and I ideate location are galore others successful nan aforesaid boat. When it comes to wine, astatine least, nan problem pinch cutting backmost is what to do pinch nan remainder of nan bottle. Sure, I’ll person a solid aliases 2 if I fancy it 1 evening, but it’s beautiful overmuch a wasted vessel if you don’t decorativeness nan remainder wrong a fewer days. Fear not – I person a plethora of recipes that will guarantee you ne'er request to discarded a driblet – bask a solid aliases two, past usage nan remainder successful nan crockery of your choice. Winner, winner, chicken Marbella dinner (one of my all-time effortless favourites – scroll nan nexus for nan recipe).

There are tons of fantabulous suggestions successful this wonderful feature connected really to incorporated vino into everything from pasta to pudding. In particular, nan braised short ribs from James Ramsden instantly caught my attention, arsenic this is precisely nan benignant of nutrient I want to beryllium making and eating correct now. Preferably pinch a cookware of oozy, buttery polenta connected nan side. Another crockery that is ticking each nan cold, wintertime boxes is Tom Hunt’s meat stew, an all-round awesome braising method. If you are much of a achromatic vino drinker, past Italian classical chicken cacciatore is arsenic comforting and would besides beryllium cleanable pinch creamy polenta aliases mash. And let’s not hide astir rosé – whoever says you tin only portion it successful nan summertime has intelligibly not publication Fiona Beckett’s beardown case for this delicate pinkish portion being enjoyed year-round. While nan look for these prawns pinch ail and chilli calls for achromatic wine, I americium assured you could happily move for rosé.

Boozy goodness … Nigel Slater’s spiced pears pinch reddish vino and acheronian chocolate. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin/The Observer

If nutrient is not your bag, past location are besides plentifulness of vegetarian ways to navigator pinch wine. When I was increasing up, my mum ever utilized reddish vino successful her pasta sauces, often pinch slow-cooked, saccharine onions and aubergine. Rachel Roddy’s look for spaghetti pinch reddish vino and onions isn’t a cardinal miles distant from that nostalgic sauce, and nan aforesaid goes for Joe Trivelli’s pici successful reddish wine (with nan added prize of hardy, bitter radicchio). Meera Sodha besides likes to brace full-bodied vino pinch radicchio, successful nan shape of a hearty risotto, which is surely nan eventual vessel of wintertime food. I will return portions of them all, convey you.

And, conscionable because it is January, let’s not hide pudding. In fact, I make much of a beeline for it during nan colder months because my days merit each nan added joyousness they tin find correct now. While these cherries successful reddish wine are a elemental summertime treat, I besides emotion them successful nan depths of winter, made pinch what I see a freezer basal – stiff pitted cherries. Make a batch, time off them successful nan fridge and bask whenever you request a saccharine hole (I apical them pinch whipped pick and crumbled amaretti). And while Nigel Slater’s look for spiced pears successful reddish vino and chocolate calls for a full vessel of red, alternatively than a leftover amount, I deliberation it is worthy and brings each nan bully things to nan wintertime array – a spectacular pudding, whether you are being abstemious aliases not.

My week successful drinks

Old-school … Mr Fitzpatrick’s Temperance Bar. Photograph: Joel Goodman/The Guardian

Posh pop | Mr Fitzpatrick’s Temperance Bar successful Rawtenstall, Lancashire, is 1 of my favourite pit stops erstwhile I americium successful nan north-west. The temperance activity originated not acold away, successful Preston successful 1835, and past dispersed passim nan UK successful a bid to beforehand abstinence. And this barroom is simply a ceremony of each things non-alcoholic – branding itself arsenic a shaper of “adult pop”. The barroom itself is good worthy a sojourn if you are nearby. And if you’re not, you tin bargain bottles of its homemade cordials online (we regularly do – my different half is simply a large instrumentality of nan sarsaparilla, and nan dandelion and burdock), arsenic good arsenic successful galore delis and shops.

We (still) emotion to party | While I americium still successful nan throes of January cosiness, sofa clip and bowls of comfortableness food, I americium starting to look guardant to hosting and socialising again. And 1 point I person learned is that while it is nosy to play astir pinch beverages, nary 1 needs nan big to beryllium a top-notch mixologist. Cue Liberation’s statement kegs. Save yourself unnecessary drinks accent and time off a premixed, top-notch cocktail keg successful your room for guests to thief themselves to. They person favourites specified arsenic spicy margaritas, negronis and pisco sours, arsenic good arsenic pouches of non-alcoholic mixes specified arsenic raspberry mojito.

Claret aliases chianti? | If you find picking vino intimidating and would emotion to study a fewer cardinal tips and tricks connected choosing a awesome bottle, past vino master Olly Smith’s book Wine: Everything You Need to Know is for you. It’s accessible and witty, and will springiness you capable knowledge to confidently prime your adjacent bottle. If cocktails are much your thing, past bargain a transcript of Smith’s Home Cocktail Bible, aliases The Cocktail Edit by award-winning drinks master Alice Lascelles – each awesome additions to immoderate room bookshelf.

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