For many, the challenge of preparing an interesting, warming, and easy meal for a solitary diner is particularly acute in the chilly month of January. In response to a reader's query, a panel of culinary experts has shared their top strategies and dishes designed to bring both comfort and flavour to the table for one.
The Art of the Solo Supper: Decadence Meets Ease
Bonnie Chung, author of 'Miso: From Japanese Classics to Everyday Umami', champions the philosophy of balancing luxury with simplicity. For her, the ideal solo dinner involves high-quality store-cupboard staples like tinned anchovies and jarred beans, minimal washing-up, and the freedom to eat from a bowl on the sofa.
Her solution is a speedy miso udon carbonara, ready in under ten minutes. The sauce, a blend of melted cheese, milk and miso, clings to frozen udon noodles soaked in hot water. Topped with crisp bacon or anchovies for a salty punch and crowned with a golden egg yolk, it delivers rich, creamy satisfaction with a pleasingly chewy texture.
Bright Flavours and Versatile Batches
Felicity Cloake, the Guardian's own food writer, seeks out fresh, vibrant tastes in January. She recommends her version of pasta con le sarde, utilising tinned fish, fennel seeds and a generous squeeze of lemon. Alternatively, she suggests pairing pasta with purple sprouting broccoli, garlic and chilli.
Cloake also highlights the value of versatile, cook-once recipes. A jar of chickpeas can be quickly transformed into a stew with harissa, herbs and feta, while a pot of braised beans provides a base for multiple meals throughout the week.
This batch-cooking approach is echoed by James Freeman, head chef at Acre restaurant in west London. He advocates roasting delica pumpkin with aleppo chilli, garlic and ginger to eat with braised white beans and salsa verde. "You could also blend the roast pumpkin to stir through the beans and, on another day, turn the beans and pumpkin into soup," he says, ensuring nothing goes to waste. The same principle applies to a weekend roast chicken, where leftovers can be shredded into a broth or used in salads.
The Ultimate Quick and Selfish Feast
Above all, Felicity Cloake rejects the notion that cooking for oneself is any less rewarding than cooking for a crowd. "The quickest of all" ways to indulge a personal craving, she insists, is a three-egg omelette, filled with whatever vegetables, herbs, cured meats or cheese are lurking in the fridge.
This severely underrated meal is on the table in minutes, and as Cloake wryly notes, "the only person who'll be cross if you overcook it is yourself." For solo chefs this January, these expert tips promise warmth, flavour, and the simple pleasure of a meal made just for you.
