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Six cosy cooking ideas for winter entertaining

Forget sitting by the fireplace, these warming dishes will revive you from the inside out.

Brought to you by Maldon Salt.

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During the cooler months, there’s nothing better than tucking into a warm and cosy meal — whether it’s a steaming bowl of dumpling soup or the sweet bite of apple crumble hot from the oven.

A comforting dish is even better when shared with family or friends. Keep your guests feeling cosy and snug with our round-up of winter-ready recipes. Try an aromatic curry for a sit-down dinner or elevate your go-to side dish with our pancetta-stuffed hasselback potatoes. A bundle of blankets and a bottle of full-bodied red wine won’t go astray, either.

Photo: Chris Chen

Beef sausage curry with coconut rice

Curried sausages get an upgrade with this nostalgic recipe. Thick beef sausages come together with Indian spices, green chillies, and coconut rice to reinvigorate guests on even the coldest of nights. For your next dinner party, we suggest serving this curry with a spicy, light grenache.

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Photo: Steven Woodburn

Steak sandwich with caper tarragon mayo

Whip these flavoursome steak sandwiches up in as little as 30 minutes for unexpected guests. Served with a sensational sauce of homemade caper and tarragon mayo, seasoned with lemon zest and crunchy Maldon Sea Salt flakes. If you don’t have a wood oven, a chargrill pan on the stovetop works just as well to achieve that smoky taste.

Photo: Chris Court

Hasselback potatoes

Taking just over an hour to cook, these hasselback potatoes are well worth the wait. Thin strips of pancetta and thyme are tucked into the slices of each potato, making them stand out from your regular roast spuds. With a delicious salty-pork flavour and crisp base, these potatoes are the perfect warm side dish at a dinner party.

Photo: Steven Woodburn

Greek chicken risoni

Your friends will be enticed by the fragrant aroma of tomatoes, cinnamon and sweet paprika before this Greek chicken risoni even hits the table. This recipe by chef and cookbook author Helena Moursellas is simple yet impressive, and comes served topped with parsley and kefalotyri cheese (an easy substitute being Parmigiano-Reggiano).

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Homemade pasta with ragù

A ragù (of any variety) is the definition of comfort cooking, but none more so than this delicious recipe by owner-chef Paola Toppi (Bar M and Toppi). Combine pork and veal mince with a fresh tomato sauce and thick folds of pappardelle, and you have a wintry winner.

Toppi says: “Stracciatella cheese or mozzarella [can] be folded through to create a sublime combination of rich tomato and strings of melted cheese, causing havoc when trying to twirl it on your fork.”

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Lemon dill yoghurt flatbread

When you’re hosting drinks, these homemade flatbreads are the perfect snack or starter. Once cooked, the salty dough is scattered with creamy Havarti cheese, confit garlic oil and fermented chilli — or choose your own toppings for a personal take on this warm and delicious recipe by Helena Moursellas.

Photo: Steven Woodburn

Brought to you by Maldon Salt.

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