As daylight fades rapidly by mid-afternoon, a specific style of comforting cooking comes into its own. It's not the heavy, deep-winter fare, but dishes that offer both warmth and brightness, feeling restorative without being stodgy. This is the culinary sweet spot perfectly captured by three standout recipes from The Barbary in Notting Hill.
Chef Ian Coogan's Culinary Philosophy
These uplifting dishes are the creation of head chef Ian Coogan, whose career includes prestigious roles at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ABC Kitchen and ABC Cocina in New York. At The Barbary, Coogan crafts a menu that marries the bold flavours of the Barbary Coast with contemporary London tastes. His cooking is characterised by its generosity, built on a foundation of spice, acidity, and just enough richness to feel like a proper treat.
Three Dishes Designed for Seasonal Comfort
The selection, shared on Tuesday 2 December 2025, provides the ideal antidote to early sunsets and dropping temperatures. Each recipe is designed to be unfussy yet special, bringing restaurant swagger into the home kitchen.
Wild Sea Bass with Chermoula
This dish delivers a vibrant, citrusy lift just when needed. The key is using wild sea bass for superior flavour, served either butterflied or as fillets. The bright, punchy chermoula sauce, heavy on fresh coriander, combines garlic, green chilli, preserved lemon, cumin, and olive oil. Chef Coogan advises lightly scoring the fish skin to ensure even cooking and maximum crispiness. The chermoula itself can be made ahead, stored in the fridge for up to a week under a thin layer of oil.
Grilled Scallop with Zhug Butter
Transforming a midweek dinner into something special, these scallops are all about fragrance and indulgence. They are barely seared for caramelisation before being finished in their shell with a melting zhug butter. The butter, a blend of coriander, green chillies, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and butter, can be prepared in advance, rolled into logs, and frozen. This versatile compound butter also works wonderfully on white fish, chicken, or steak.
Rice Pudding Brûlée
This is comfort food dressed up, offering nostalgia with a sophisticated crackable caramel top. The creamy rice pudding, infused with cardamom, is layered over a sharp raspberry jam and fresh raspberries before being topped with demerara sugar and blowtorched. It's a dessert that promises to quiet a table. The recipe is highly adaptable; the rice pudding base can be made ahead and paired with whatever fruit is in season, making it lovely served chilled in summer or warm in winter.
Bringing Restaurant Magic Home
Together, these three recipes from Ian Coogan offer a masterclass in seasonal cooking. They provide warmth, brightness, and a touch of escapism, requiring minimal effort for maximum reward. They exemplify how bold flavours and thoughtful techniques can create the perfect edible comfort for the darker, colder months of the year.
