January foods in season and what to cook with them
January ushers in a new year – and with it, the perfect chance to get inspired in the kitchen. Whether you’re in search of healthy dishes or comfort food classics, there's plenty of scope to include these delicious seasonal ingredients in your cooking.
Vegetables
Hardy root vegetables are at their best in January, so if you've decided to take part in Veganuary this year (or you're just looking to eat a little bit less meat), there are plenty of options for you to try. Top picks include beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, celeriac, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, parsnips, swedes, potatoes and sweet potatoes, as well as turnips. Peppers are also slowly coming into season.
Cauliflower and smoked cheese gratin
Crispy sprout bowls with honey tahini dressing
Kidney bean and sweet potato stew
Simply/Mitchell Beazley
Meat
This month is all about game, with goose, guinea fowl, rabbit and venison all in season. It's also a good time for hearty beef and pork dishes, especially roast dinners. If you're looking for something a little bit lighter, turkey is still on the shelves, but won't hang around for long – the bird sees the end of its seasonality this month.
Venison sausage and wild mushroom traybake
Roast pork belly with garlic potatoes
Waitrose & Partners/loveFOOD
Seafood
A variety of different shellfish are in their prime this month – specifically clams, mussels, oysters, crab and scallops. In terms of fish, this month sees the first of the cod coming into season, while mackerel, Dover sole, halibut and monkfish are all good bets too.
Ginger and preserved lemon crab spaghetti
Clodagh's Weeknight Kitchen/Kyle Books
Fruit
Boost your vitamin C levels and add a little colour to your meals on long, dark days by adding bright oranges, grapefruits, clementines and lemons to your diet. Bramley apples, Comice and Conference pears, passion fruits and pomegranates are all in season, too – and the first of the year's forced rhubarb is starting to appear. Meanwhile, dates and quince are seeing the last of their seasonality.
Don't forget that many nuts like almonds, chestnuts and hazelnuts are also still in season.
Lemon thyme, honey and almond cake
Orange, almond and cardamom madeleines
Clementine sponges with cranberry sauce
Rick Stein's Secret France/BBC Books
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature