5 Recipes Created for Comfort
Main image by Terence Chin
Additional Imagery & Words by Harriet Davidson
With the cooler months upon us, we are celebrating cosy nights in the best way we know how - with comfort food. Join us in looking back on food writer Harriet Davidson’s anthology of recipes for the IN BED Journal that embody a taste of home: from her mother’s Chicken Cassoulet to a decadent Chocolate Mousse laden with whisky soaked prunes. As daylight becomes precious and evenings draw to a close sooner, we invite you to set the table with time-honoured table linens and create new memories with these hearty recipes - each one just as restorative and heartfelt as a warm embrace.
Harriet's table is set with IN BED 100% Linen table cloth in natural, accompanied by 100% Linen napkins in toffee.
Mama’s Chicken Cassoulet
“My mother is an incredible cook and of course, rarely uses a recipe but I’ve sat in the kitchen and watched her cook this many, many times. “It is definitely a recipe to play with and cook a few times to get it like you want it,” my Mama told me. “I like it slightly overcooked to crisp up the top and make any sausage that is popping up a bit crunchy.”
“The beans and chicken soak up the delicious flavours of the tomato, wine and thyme and the sausage adds a great kick. You’re definitely going to want some sourdough to dip in and soak up the “slurry” (as my Mama calls it), preferably lathered with salted butter. I hope this wintery warmer fills you in the same way it fills me, both in the literal and metaphoric sense.”
Harriet's warming soup sits atop IN BED 100% Linen table cloth in natural,
Roasted Carrot & Turmeric Soup
“The topping is just as important as the soup itself in this recipe and once you start loading your soups, it’s hard to turn back. Similar to a bowl of morning porridge, there’s something almost meditative about building your bowl when it’s all ready – placing each dollop, each sprinkle, each drizzle in just the right spot before you sit down to warm yourself from within.”
“Serve with a great loaf of fresh sourdough to tear from or make yoghurt flatbreads to wipe your bowl out with at the end. If you have leftover roasted carrots, pop them on the table too – they’re a treat to dip into the soup.”
This delicious winter salad is paired with IN BED 100% Linen napkins in toffee.
Roasted Brussels Sprout and Broccoli Warm Winter Salad
“Roasting brassicas is a game-changer. And if you’re yet to have discovered this, I’m thrilled for your adventure ahead. They’re a whole other animal from the steamed versions of themselves. A hot oven turns them into an almost meaty, caramelised, rich bite. Here the stars are the beloved Brussels sprout and broccoli, two of winter’s greatest pleasures, plucked from Coopers Growing farm in Milton, New South Wales.”
“I often have a bowl of this on its own as a meal but you could add in an ancient grain like barley or freekeh to make it more substantial, or serve it as a side to your Sunday roast chook.”
Spiced Porridge with Stewed Rhubarb & Apple
“I’ve come to realise that my love for breakfast is more than it being about feeding my morning hunger. It’s as much about the process and ritual of building it. Adding each element, considering where I want to place the tahini drizzle, browsing my shelf for which nut or seed will add the crunch. It’s the soothing act of taking time to do something with my hands that at the end of, I have something that I made for no one but myself.”
“Play around, use the nuts you love the most, have it with or without yoghurt, use peanut butter instead of tahini. Breakfast is a deeply personal thing, and this here is how I like to do it.”
Layered beneath delicious bowls of chocolate mousse are IN BED 100% Linen placemats in white.
Silvia’s Chocolate Mousse with Whiskey-Soaked Prunes
“I first met Silvia, a dear family friend, living in Port Moresby as a child - a wonderful woman, and a wonderfully inspiring cook. My family would wander down the road for dinner where we’d walk in her door and she’d take us kids over to her fridge, open the door and reveal a large glass bowl holding this chocolate mousse. After a dinner of sauerkraut and sausages, we’d devour the silky, velvety dessert.”
“I hope this recipe sweetens your night’s in and brings a smile as big as the one it’s been bringing me since I was 10 years old.”