Coconut chicken, hispi with beans and pork with pineapple: Ravinder Bhogal’s recipes for winter braises

Braising is a transformative and uncomplicated way of cooking. It’s particularly suited to cosier cooking during the frigid months, or for unflustered catering for a crowd. When simmered gently in flavourful liquids at a low temperature, even the toughest of meats and the hardiest vegetables and pulses are coaxed into yielding, delicious comfort food. The beauty of a braise is how both the broth and the main ingredient are enriched when they linger together for some time, not to mention that it is also mostly hands-off cooking.This whole chicken braised in a bath of rich, spice-laden coconut milk, is the perfect, cosy alternative to a traditional Sunday roast

How to turn an old bread crust into a delectable British pudding – recipe | Waste not

Treacle tart is a great way to turn a bread crust into a treat. I made mine with a crust each of Danish rye and wholemeal spelt sourdough, and it was incredibly rich and flavourful.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more

‘Butter is a perception’: inside the UK’s first plant-based Michelin-starred restaurant

Plates in east London is a meat and dairy-free space, but its chef and owner doesn’t care for the v-wordKirk Haworth, the owner and head chef of the east London restaurant Plates, hates the word vegan. “At least seeing the word on a menu,” he says. “​Plant-based cooking ​i​s not a trend. Not for me, anyway. I’ve been doing it for eight years and it’s just in my soul now

Ravneet Gill’s recipe for tapioca pudding with roast rhubarb | The sweet spot

I’ve converted many people to tapioca with this recipe, so if you are a sceptic, I urge you to close your eyes and give it a try. This pudding is nothing like the frogspawn texture you might remember or the sticky, unpleasant mouthful you might expect. Rather, it’s a delicate, beautiful dessert with pearls swimming in silky custard, perfectly contrasted with sharp, sweet and tangy roast rhubarb.This will keep in the fridge for up to three days, though the tapioca may need some additional milk or custard to loosen when you reheat it.Prep 10 minMacerate 20 min Cook 45 min Serves 4100g small pearl tapiocaFor the custard200ml whole milk 200ml double cream 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways50g caster sugar 3 egg yolksFor the roast rhubarb200g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into chunks30g caster sugarToss the rhubarb and sugar in a large bowl, then leave to macerate for 20 minutes

If the Cape fits: time to rediscover South Africa’s wines?

Call me weird, but I often ask random people about their opinions on wine. Not in an annoying mini-mic-on-the-high-street kind of way, but, rather, I ask everyone from taxi drivers and hairdressers to fellow drinks enthusiasts about what they’re drinking. I recently asked a shop manager what he thought of South African wine, and he responded by throwing his hands in the air and exclaiming: “Eurgh! I can’t stand pinotage!”The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more

Vatavaran, London SW3: ‘Grimly edible, but only if you were very hungry’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

Vatavaran, a posh new Himalayan-inspired joint in Knightsbridge, is much more than just a premium restaurant celebrating the Indian subcontinent. No, it’s “a journey of the senses”, over tandoori duck seekh kebab, sea bass pollichathu and a few fancy cocktails, to help you transcend your earthly confines. This is “more than just a meal; it’s an ascent to new experiences”, proclaims the website.Being a huge fan of restaurant hyperbole, I love it when dinner promises to change me metaphysically. The website goes on to refer to Vatavaran’s owners, chef Rohit Ghai and Abhishake Sangwan, as “visionary”, and in doing so strays perilously close to David Icke territory