UNCOMFORTABLE TIMES CALL FOR SOME COMFORT FOOD

THIS lockdown week I have mainly been eating... Well, I return time and again this winter to hot-smoked chicken. It never fails to put the patent-wow-ometer way into the pink – which is relevant because hot-smoked chicken tends to have a slightly pink hue about its normally white flesh.

The point is that a hot-smoked bird gives you much more bang for your buck. By which I mean: with very little effort on your part you can produce something which explodes with 100 times more flavour than a simple roast chicken. All you need is a lidded barbecue or, even better, a Kamado Joe and some wood chips. Talking of which, the Devon based company Hot Smoked has just been named as a finalist in the Gift of the Year Awards for their basic smoking kit.

Pasta-bake. The very name makes my foodie enthusiasm wilt, but during this dark cold winter during lockdown I’ve needed every ounce of comfort food I can get – and a really good pastabake can do that job like a creamy eiderdown.

But you really need a fresh salad to go with it – even the most simple caesar-salad will do.