As the dark days of winter linger, award-winning chef and food writer Thomasina Miers has shared a pair of spectacular recipes designed to bring light, flavour, and colour to the table. Her golden, cheese-crusted celeriac soufflé and vibrant honeyed citrus salad offer a masterclass in transforming simple, seasonal ingredients—and festive leftovers—into a show-stopping meal.
A Golden, No-Fuss Soufflé for Winter Comfort
At the heart of this comforting dish is a clever celeriac, onion, and cheese soufflé that bypasses the traditional, fussy béchamel sauce. Instead, it relies on mashed roots, cream, and yoghurt for a rich base that rises to impressive heights. Miers highlights the recipe's practicality, noting it's a brilliant way to use up 300g of celeriac and 200g of floury potatoes that might be left over from holiday cooking.
The method is straightforward. The roots are boiled until tender, then roughly mashed. In a separate pan, a finely diced red onion is softened in butter with thyme and garlic. This aromatic mixture is then combined with the mash, along with double cream, Greek yoghurt, and a generous 250g of grated cheese—Miers suggests a mix of blue and cheddar for maximum flavour. After seasoning with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, seven egg yolks are beaten in.
The key to the soufflé's legendary lift is in the stiffly whisked egg whites, which are carefully folded into the vegetable mixture. The whole lot is baked in a buttered dish at 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½ for 40-45 minutes, resulting in a light, golden, and cheese-crusted centrepiece that serves four to six people.
A Zingy Salad Bursting with Colour and Flavour
To cut through the richness of the soufflé, Miers pairs it with a honeyed citrus, rocket, and pomegranate salad. This is no mere side; it's a refreshing, beautifully constructed dish that brings sharp, sweet, and peppery notes to the plate. It makes clever use of winter citrus, combining blood orange and pink grapefruit.
The citrus is supreme—skinned and sliced into rounds—with any precious juice saved for the dressing. The dressing itself is a vibrant emulsion of that citrus juice, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and a heaped teaspoon of honey. Finely diced red onion is macerated in this dressing, softening its bite and infusing it with flavour.
The salad is assembled on a bed of rocket and chicory, topped with the citrus slices, toasted sunflower seeds, and a scattering of jewel-like pomegranate seeds. The final pour of the honeyed dressing ties all the elements together, creating a salad that is as visually stunning as it is delicious.
Smart Cooking and Zero Waste
Beyond simply providing two excellent recipes, Miers touches on a core principle of good kitchen management: avoiding waste. She advocates for proper storage and keeping tabs on fridge contents to ensure ingredients are used in time. This soufflé and salad combo is a perfect example of that philosophy in action, turning potential leftovers into a truly spectacular meal that brightens even the darkest winter's day.
With prep times of 10 minutes for the soufflé and 25 minutes for the salad, this is an achievable yet impressive menu for any home cook looking to inject some vibrant, cheesy, and citrusy joy into their January dining.
