When thinking of seasonality, the bright, bold flavors of spring and summer might come to the forefront of your mind. Winter, however, boasts a slew of delicious ingredients that rival those of other seasons. Today, we’re taking a page from the final chapter of Jacquelyn Dodd’s Lush and giving winter foods—and the brews that pair oh-so-well with them—the respect that they deserve. Known for casseroles and one-pot meals, winter dishes often seem heavy, but Dodd’s recipes offer unexpected alternatives that still pack a punch, all thanks to their focus on highlighting ingredients at the peak of their season. Tangy, colorful blood oranges, crisp leeks, and the ever-humble sweet potato each get their moment in the sun, paired alongside winter’s tastiest craft beers. Snuggle up next to the fire and browse the recipes below. You’ll be cooking up delicious meals to get you through the colder months in no time!
Drunken Winter Farro and Blood Orange Salad
with Stout-Balsamic Glaze
Serves 4
Blood oranges are so lovely for such a violent name. Their gorgeous flesh does look a little like, well, flesh. But don’t let that stop you! They’re delicious and magical. Just overlook the fact that your kitchen will look like a citrus slaughterhouse for a moment.
Salad
1½ cups winter ale (340 g)
1 cup water (226 g)
1 cup pearled farro (200 g)
pinch kosher salt
Glaze
1 cup balsamic vinegar (240 g)
½ cup stout (113 g)
3 tablespoons honey (42 g)
Assembly
4 cups baby arugula (120 g)
2 blood oranges, peeled and cut between membranes into segments
½ cup crumbled goat cheese (75 g)
½ cup candied pecans (68 g)
TO MAKE THE FARRO: Combine the beer and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the farro and salt and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the farro is cooked but still chewy. Drain the farro and allow it to cool.
TO MAKE THE GLAZE: In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic, stout, and honey. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to a syrup, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
TO ASSEMBLE: In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, blood orange segments, cooled farro, goat cheese, and pecans. Just before serving, drizzle the glaze over the salad.
Beer-Braised Leeks
with Lemon and Parmigiano-Reggiano Vinaigrette
Serves 4
If I challenged you to eat an entire plate of onions, you’d probably call me crazy. But then I’d set down this plate of onion-adjacent vegetables with cheese and butter, and you’d eat the entire thing. It’s shocking, really, how lovely and sweet the leek can be with just a little help.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42 g)
6 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1-inch sections
1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
½ cup stout (113 g)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 g)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (60 g)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (15 g)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (30 g)
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (25 g)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (60 g)
¼ cup chopped pecans (34 g)
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt.
Stir in the garlic, then the beer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the pan is mostly dry.
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano in the bowl of a food processor and process until well blended. With the machine running, slowly add the oil through the feed tube, blending until well combined.
Transfer the leeks to a serving plate. Drizzle the dressing over the top as desired. Garnish with the pecans and serve immediately.
Crispy Sweet Potato Tacos
Serves 4
If anyone ever tells you they could never eat vegan food, your mission is clear. Sit them down, serve them a beer, and feed them as many of these tacos as they can stuff in their face. Because that’s what they’ll do with these tacos: stuff them in their face by the fistful, unable to argue about anything. Garnet sweet potatoes are often mislabeled in grocery stores as yams. Don’t let that deter you, as you know the truth: these dark orange–skinned beauties aren’t yams at all; they’re most certainly sweet potatoes.
2 large garnet sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon, divided kosher salt (24 g)
1½ cups winter ale (340 g)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30 g)
½ teaspoon onion powder (1.5 g)
½ teaspoon garlic powder (1.5 g)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (2 g)
12 corn tortillas
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (175 g)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
½ medium white onion, chopped (38 g)
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (6 g)
for serving: hot pepper sauce
Put the sweet potato wedges in a large, shallow bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon (18 g) of the salt over them and add the beer. Add enough water to fully submerge the potato wedges. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.
Position a rack in the top third of the oven. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Drain the potatoes and rinse well. Pat them dry with paper towels, removing as much moisture as possible to help them crisp. Transfer them to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon (6 g) of salt and toss to coat.
Transfer the potatoes to the preheated baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the potatoes over and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the undersides are golden brown. Remove the potatoes from the oven and transfer to paper towels to drain.
Top each tortilla with 2 or 3 sweet potato wedges and some of the corn, avocado, onion, cilantro, and hot sauce. Serve.
Reprinted with permission from Lush: A Season-by-Season Celebration of Craft Beer and Produce by Jacquelyn Dodd, Agate Publishing, October 2019.