Winter is nearly upon us and while the downside is cold weather and grey skies, the upside is warm fires, red wine and delectable winter dishes. Venturing out into the elements is absolutely worth it if it means dining beside a cosy, crackling fire – Zomato even has a ‘By the Fire’ collection – sipping a full-bodied cabernet and savouring hearty comfort food. With this in mind, restaurateurs across the country now begin to create their winter menus, selecting tastes that best complement each other to deliver the best in seasonal fare.

Making a regular appearance on winter menus is Osso Buco – Italian for ‘bone with a hole’ this stew epitomises delicious comfort food. Although traditionally made with veal shanks or knuckles, it can also be made using lamb shanks; the meat is slowly braised in a rich, tomato-infused sauce until it’s fall-off-the-bone tender. Topped with Gremolata (a combination of chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest) it is typically served with saffron risotto or, as suggested on Food52, with creamy polenta.

Another firm favourite is the rich and flavourful pork belly roast. The Twelve Apostles’ Azure Restaurant serves their slow cooked pork belly with white bean ragout, savoy cabbage, grilled baby gems, candied citrus and bacon rillettes, along with a local cider and mustard seed jus; while Reuben’s chooses to serve his pressed pork belly with carrot puree, crispy fondant potato, bok choy and chilli caramel, along with a ginger jus. According to BBC Good Food, important to remember when cooking pork belly is that it is rubbed with oil and salt before cooking which helps the fat run out and the skin to crisp; and that it is roasted at a slow gentle heat to begin with and then a shorter hotter blast of heat at the end to crisp up the skin.

And finally let’s not forget the most quintessential winter dish of all – soup. A fabulous winter food, whether a soupçon (get it) to start your meal or served as the main feature, soup is the perfect way to play with different tastes and flavours. After all, very little tops a hearty beef broth, soul-warming chicken soup or creamy seafood chowder. For winter menu inspiration and the best in quality wholesale meat and frozen foods, call N1 today – they’d love to hear from you.