As I write this, Julia Child’s classic boeuf bourguignon is simmering on my stove in a Dutch oven. Nothing says cold weather more than this incredibly beefy concoction. The act of prepping it is fairly involved, so when I make it, it means I don’t have to go anywhere. The bubbling beef and wine, slow-cooked with an off-set lid, releases a fragrant, nostalgic aroma throughout the house and warms me just from smelling it. Then there’s the taste: the most quintessential beef stew of your dreams. Soon, I will be tucking into a bowl of my handiwork in front of a wood fire and watching The Proposal. It doesn’t get any cozier.
St. Louis chefs and restaurateurs also have their cold-weather rituals, so I asked them to share what they love to cook when the temperatures drop. Maybe you’ll find some inspiration and try something new, though there’s no shame in sticking to your own tried-and-true comforts.
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Matt McGuire, Box Hill Group (Louie, Wright’s Tavern, Box Hill Grocer): “My go-to would be a whole roasted chicken on top of sliced potatoes, leeks, and cream. Throw in some thyme, and bake the whole deal together. It’s caramelized, rich, and amazing. (It’s from an old Donna Hay recipe.) Drink one whole bottle of Marcel LaPierre Morgon by yourself. And build a fire. I’ve done this many times in Hermann when it snows, and it’s the best thing ever.”
Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box and Telva at the Ridge: “Lately it’s grah, a hearty Bosnian bean stew. I have yet to perfect this dish, as it’s so much better when Edo’s mom, aunt or cousin make it. I’m convinced it’s one of those dishes that is just better when someone else makes it for you—or that’s what I like to tell myself because mine is never as good! Alas, I will still continue to try because it’s so simple and delicious.”
Cary McDowell, Katie’s: “My favorite cold weather dish is simple: a slice of Ted’s [Wilson] Light and Mild from Union Loafers toasted with a scant amount of French butter, four scrambled eggs, an avocado that’s so hard-to-handle you can barely slice it because it’s so ripe and some flaky salt on top. If I have that, I am warm and happy.”
Mike Risk, O+O Pizza: “Grilled cheese and tomato soup. For whatever reason, that feels like a warm blanket thrown over me when I smell and eat it.”
Danni Eickenhorst, HuSTL Hospitality (Steve’s Hot Dogs, Steve’s Meltdown, the Fountain): “I’m a fan of morning mimosas on snow days. But also, Italian beef in the Instapot. It’s warm, juicy, and comforting. Pair it with good crusty bread, provolone or pepperjack and go heavy on the giardiniera for extra warmth!”
Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe and Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co.: “My go-to dish for when it’s cold outside is definitely one of two things: Posole, because I love to make it, or beef and green chile stew.”
Jono Lorentzen, The Yale Bar, Parker’s Table, Bar Monde: “I love to steam vegetables and various dumplings. It fills my house with steam and comforting aromas.”
Natasha Kwan, Frida’s, Diego’s, Station No. 3: “Get ready for the most pitiful answer, ever. For me, no day will ever have too much snow or be too cold to leave the house; I simply cannot be stuck inside for an entire day especially knowing something needs to be shoveled. We never have food in the house other than pistachios and mandarin oranges thanks to being parents to a 29-year old parrot. We almost always fix a Trader Joe’s cauliflower crust pizza. Sometimes it will have red pepper and mushrooms, but mostly, it’s just a cheese pizza with added nutritional yeast, chili flake and black pepper. If we’re feeling crazy, we’ll go to the restaurant and grab salad ingredients and have a full meal. Not sure that would be considered cooking, but it does the job.”
Julie Truong, DD Mau: “My dish to cook would be hot pot. I just love grabbing a few items from Pan Asia: vegetables, tofu, mushrooms and spicy Szechuan hot pot soup flavoring. Throw it all together and eat it for days.”
Colleen Thompson, Colleen’s: “Chicken chili is the favorite. I have frozen green chile from Colorado and that takes it to another level. I also get the sourdough bread going for a grilled cheese and tomato soup. I’m also looking forward to catching up on a couple of thriller books that are calling my name.”
Recipe: Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Leeks
Asked what he’s cooking when the weather turns positively frightful outside, Box Hill Group’s Matt McGuire doesn’t hesitate: a riff on Donna Hay’s Roast Garlic Chicken on Potato and Leek Gratin. “It’s so satisfying,” McGuire insists. “I’ve done this many times in Hermann when it snows, and it’s the best thing ever.” For McGuire, whose beloved restaurant Louie just received a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for “Best Hospitality,” the key is how everything caramelizes together to become a rich and amazing concoction. Add a little cream and thyme to the potatoes and leeks, and you get this schmaltz-enriched masterpiece that pairs perfectly with a bottle of gamay. His preference: Marcel LaPierre Morgon sipped in its entirety over the course of a wintry day next to a crackling fire.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon leaves
- 4 sprigs
- ½ Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
- 1 whole chicken
- ½ lemon, cut into wedges
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Roast garlic
- 3 large heads garlic
- Sea salt flakes
- 2 lbs. starchy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 leeks, trimmed and cut into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1¼ cups hot pure cream
Directions:
- Make roast garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees; place each head of garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil; drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and wrap to enclose; lace on a baking tray and roast for 40 minutes or until soft and golden; cool for 10 minutes, then squeeze the garlic from their skins and transfer to a sterilized glass jar; and discard the garlic skins.
- Combine 2 tablespoons mashed roast garlic, tarragon, butter, salt and pepper. Loosen the skin over the chicken breast. Using a small spoon, place the garlic butter under the skin of the chicken.
- Fill the cavity of the chicken with the extra tarragon sprigs and the lemon. Tie the legs together with kitchen string.
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil.
- Make the potato and leek gratin: Place the potato, leek, and thyme in a deep 10 inch-by-12 inch baking dish.
- Pour the hot cream over it.
- Place the chicken on top of the gratin, and roast for one hour or until the chicken and potatoes are tender and cooked through.
