Tacky celeriac souffle and citrus salad: Thomasina Miers’ recipes to brighten a darkish winter’s day | Winter foods and drinks

There’s a ability in not losing meals and it’s all about good, old school housekeeping. If you happen to discover ways to retailer components correctly (cool, darkish locations are helpful for spuds, for instance) and hold tabs on what’s in your fridge/freezer, you should utilize all the pieces up earlier than it goes off – and make scrumptious issues within the course of. This golden, cheese-crusted souffle makes use of up the celeriac and spuds left after the festive season, plus any odds and ends of cheeses. It’s spectacularly good, particularly paired with a glowing citrus salad.

Celeriac, onion and cheese souffle (pictured high)

Candy onions, delicate roots and plenty of cheese rise into a lightweight, golden souffle with not one of the fuss of constructing a bechamel. Bliss!

Prep 10 min
Cook dinner 1 hr 30 min
Serves 4-6

300g celeriac
200g floury potatoes
Salt
45g butter, plus additional for greasing
1 massive purple onion, peeled and finely diced
1 small handful recent thyme leaves
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
200g double cream
100g greek yoghurt, or soured cream
250g grated cheese – I exploit a mixture of blueand cheddar
Grated nutmeg
7 eggs, separated

Peel the celeriac and potatoes, then lower them into bite-sized chunks. Put them in a pan full of 7½cm-10cm salted boiling water, then prepare dinner on a excessive warmth for 18-20 minutes, till tender. (Alternatively, you probably have leftover cooked potatoes or celeriac, this dish is a beautiful means of utilizing them up.)

In the meantime, soften the butter in a pan, add the onion and season generously with salt, pepper and the thyme. Sweat, stirring, on a medium warmth for 10 minutes, then add the garlic.

Drain the roots, then roughly mash them within the pan set over a low warmth. Add the the cream and yoghurt, then mash once more. Add three-quarters of the grated cheese and warmth gently, stirring nicely, for a couple of minutes. Stir within the softened onion combination and season to style with extra salt and pepper, plus a couple of beneficiant gratings of nutmeg.

Warmth the oven to 210C (190C fan)/410F/fuel 6½, then beat the egg yolks into the greens. In a big, very clear bowl, whisk the egg whites till stiff and immovable, then, utilizing a big steel spoon, gently fold a 3rd of them into the basis mash. Fold the veg combine into the remaining egg whites, taking care to not beat out the air.

Pour the combination into a big, buttered ovenproof ceramic vessel and bake within the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes; if the highest is threatening to brown an excessive amount of after half-hour, flip down the warmth to 200C (180C fan)/390F/fuel 6. As soon as the souffle has risen and is smelling superb, serve directly with the citrus salad beneath.

Honeyed citrus, rocket and pomegranate salad

A refreshing, superbly colored salad with contrasting bursts of sweetness from the citrus, honey and peppery leaves.

Prep 25 min
Serves 4

1 blood orange
1 pink grapefruit
½ purple onion, peeled and finely diced
100g rocket, washed
2 heads chicory, ideally pink
1 small pomegranate
50g sunflower seeds, toasted

For the dressing
1 heaped tsp honey
1 tbsp good-quality cider vinegar
1 heaped tsp dijon mustard
75ml olive oil

Reduce the tops and bottoms off the citrus fruits, then lower away the pores and skin and white pith. Reduce the citrus into rounds and lower every spherical in half, amassing any juices in a small bowl as you go; squeeze the juice out of the skins, too, and add to the bowl.

Whisk the honey, cider vinegar, mustard and oil into the bowl of citrus juice, then season generously and stir within the chopped purple onion.

Take the seeds out of the pomegranate (discard the pores and skin and pith), and add any pomegranate juice that escapes to the dressing.

Wash and dry the salad leaves, then prepare them on a big platter or in a bowl. High with the sliced citrus, half the pomegranate seeds (save the remainder for breakfast the subsequent day) and the sunflower seeds, then pour over the dressing and toss gently to coat. Serve alongside the celeriac souffle.