A winter warmer

January has always struck me as being the very worst of months to indulge in the ritual self denial of New year's Resolutions.
If you want to give something up, wait til the weather has improved and the nights are lighter - if you need motivation or an excuse go for the full 40 day Lent experience, so much more satisfying than the 31 days of January.  And I'll bet you didn't all start on 1st January anyway, because that's still Christmas holiday, right?
As Debora Robertson says in the January edition of Delicious magazine, "If you're making food-based resolutions this January, give yourself a break.  Don't make them about self denial or some other complex task to out on your ToDo list."

With this sound advice ringing in my ears, I have no hesitation in sharing this savoury suet pudding with you.  Rib-sticking stuff for cold, grey days.

I tblsp rapeseed oil
200-250g leeks
125g mushrooms
75g pecans or walnuts
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tblsp Pedro Ximemez sherry, or any sweet sherry left over from the Christmas trifles (optional)
200ml stock
100g blue cheese, your choice, I used Gorgonzola, as that was what was in the fridge.

120g self raising flour
60g (vegetarian) suet
Salt and pepper
Water

Heat the oven to 170ºC

Slice the leeks into thick coins and chop the mushrooms.
Heat the oil in a 10" prospector casserole or oven proof dish over a low heat.  Add the leeks and mushrooms and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Roghly chop the nuts and add those to the pan, with the thyme, sherry and stock.  Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and scatter the blue cheese over the top.

Mix the flour and suet in a mixing bowl, with a generous seasoning of salt and pepper.  Add just enough cold water to bring the mixture together to a stiff dough.  On a floured surface, roll out the dough to fit the top of the pan and carefully lay the dough over the leek mixture.
Cover with a lid and place in the hot oven for 20 minutes.

Serve with buttered carrots and shredded Savoy cabbage.

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