Our kitchen is the most used room in the house and never more so than during the long winter months. It’s also my food office. A busy space where recipes are tested and meals are shared around the table. On the far side of the kitchen is the fireplace. Keeping the fire going throughout the day is the job of anyone passing by, which happens to be me. The cold brings with it a certain charm. For us this means cosy evenings in with soulful food that’s comforting and casual, like this wintery oxtail noodle soup. It needs little else other than a rustic bread for warmth to be restored.

Soup holds endless possibilities and is a clever way of including meat and vegetables into one. This Oxtail soup requires little attention and can be left to splutter away until the meat falls off the bone. It also provides the perfect opportunity to use up a few odd vegetables. I also add noodles for a soft creaminess. When entertaining in winter, I usually make 2-3 different soups and some rustic loaves to serve alongside. I include a meat, vegetarian and chicken option. This Tuscan farro and bean soup with pancetta is often on the menu as well as a butternut option, like say, a spicy Thai butternut and coconut cream soup.