My hands and lips are chapped and the winter cold seems to have penetrated my bones and taken up residence there permanently.

I try to find solace in little things:  the burst of sweetness and bright colours of a tangerine, warming my hands around a cup of coffee, stoking the fireplace I nagged my husband years for and watching the yellow flames dance.  My cats snuggle up to me in the dark, cold evenings and when I’m at home, I’m never out of my slippers. 

Every morning I stand in front of our bedroom window and look at the naked branches of the three poplar trees outside.  I search for the smallest bit of green, even though I know it’s much too early for the first signs of spring.  

Of course, the rich, hearty dishes of winter is another source of great comfort.  I make soups and stews and pies – all the things that seem much too heavy to enjoy during the summer months.  I page through recipe book after recipe book, marvelling at dishes that take hours in a low oven.  And when I snuggle up on the couch with a bowl of something steamy that I can eat with a spoon, then I realise that winter isn’t all bad.

Besides, my granny, who had the most beautiful roses of all the tannies at the senior citizens home, always said that a cold winter makes for the prettiest roses in spring.  I’m not going to argue with that!

JAMIE’S DINNERS – TENDER AND CRISP CHICKEN LEGS WITH SWEET TOMATOES

 As often as I turn to the Aussie Bill Granger’s cookbooks in summer, I choose to cook from Jamie Oliver’s books in winter.  Even though Jamie has many light and summery recipes, he seems to know how to cook food that comforts. This recipe is one of those dishes.  I’ve made it countless times and every single time it turns out fantastic.  It’s one of my husband’s favourites as well and I’m pretty sure it will become one of yours.

(Serves 4) 

8-12 chicken pieces (thighs and legs)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A big bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped

2 big handfuls of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

1 whole bulb of garlic, broken up into cloves

1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped (or a couple of shakes of chilli flakes)

Olive oil

Optional:  1 x 410 g tin of cannellini beans, drained

Optional:  2 handfuls of baby potatoes, scrubbed

Preheat your oven to 180 ?C.  Season all your chicken pieces all over and put them into a snug-fitting pan in one layer.  Throw in all the basil leaves and stalks as well as your tomatoes.

Scatter the garlic cloves into the pan with the chilli and drizzle over some olive oil. Mix everything around a bit, pushing the tomatoes underneath.  Place in the oven for 1½ hours until the chicken skin is crisp and the meat falls off the bone.  (I start my chicken skin side down and then turn them around halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking.)  

Add some drained cannellini beans or some new potatoes to the pan and cook them with the chicken.  Or serve the chicken with simple mashed potato.  Squeeze the garlic out of the skins before serving.  You could also make this part of a pasta dish.  Remove the chicken from the bone and shred it, then toss into a bowl of linguine or spaghetti.

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ooOoo

Ilse Smalberger