Fly the flag for comfort food with these Great British recipes, reimagined by Annie Bell.
Lemon roast chicken with garlicky dauphinoise and rocket salad
This is a particularly gorgeous take on our favourite Sunday roast. There are lots of uses for leftover roast chicken, such as a Thai or Indian curry. Or make some stock and turn it into a rich vegetable soup with lentils and slivers of chicken. Any leftover gratin can be reheated.
Shepherd’s pie
How many of us have grown up with the comfort of this pie? A bottle of tomato ketchup and a bowl of buttered peas turn it into a homecoming. Any leftovers can be reheated.
Fish and chips
This one-pot rendition of our national dish raises the bar with seabass fillets and skinny matchstick potatoes, without recourse to a deep-fat fryer. A crisp green salad would be just the ticket alongside.
Steak and mushroom pie
A steak pie succeeds in being rustic and relaxed yet celebratory at the same time. Whenever I place one of these on the table, I can’t help swelling with pride. Any leftovers can be frozen and reheated.
Roasted carrots with crispy sage leaves
These roasted carrots go perfectly with a steak and mushroom pie.
Apple and blueberry crumble
Apple crumble really is a national treasure, and the very best combine the jammy flesh of cookers with nibs of eaters. You could also ring the changes with ground hazelnuts instead of almonds.
Strawberries and cream trifle
A combination of mascarpone and whipped cream makes for the most decadent chantilly cream, layered with a strawberry purée in wine glasses. One to eat lounging on the sofa in slippers.
Marmalade bread and butter pudding
This wickedly sticky bread and butter pud is a tribute to our love of toast with butter and marmalade. And given that it relies on slightly stale or day-old bread, it feels particularly timely when we might not be buying fresh bread as often as usual.
Lemon meringue pie
Of all the renditions of lemon meringue pie, it’s my mum’s retro take that I return to. I love the way it oozes syrup and the digestive crust gets increasingly louche as the hours pass. A naughty spoonful of whipped cream is to be encouraged.
Great British recipes by Annie Bell. Food styling: Clare Lewis. Styling: Sue Radcliffe.
