Pease porridge hot

Frost wreaths frame still lives on the streets. Citrus and cyclamen in brave colors adorn the table, bridging January to the potted primroses and bundles of asparagus which will herald not spring but the end of winter. Until they appear, life turns inward. Time for conserving warmth in short walks and thick soups, stews and casseroles.

There’s something primal about one-pot meals. Hot and sloppy? Agreeably so. Frugal and efficient? That too. They evoke images of an ancient clan sharing nourishment from a communal cauldron, listening to the wind howl out there, wherever “there” may be. “Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot, nine days old” comes to us from the Middle Ages, when necessity forced every scrap of food into a never depleted, and therefore never fresh, stew, transmogrifying over the fire.

Here are some hearty, more appetizing versions of the primal one-pot-meal. Don’t worry about a little fat—it’s what makes the good stuff stick to your ribs.

Boiled beef and sausage with vegetables

1 5 lb. beef brisket or rump roast
1/2 lb. lean salt pork, blanched
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
8 peppercorns
2 onions, each stuck with 2 cloves
1 lb. garlic sausages
6 carrots
4 celery ribs, halved
6 small white turnips
2 small rutabagas, quartered
1 head Savoy cabbage, cut in wedges
6 leeks
6 to 8 new potatoes

Place the beef and salt pork in a large soup pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil and skim the surface. Add bay, thyme, peppercorns and onions. Lower heat and simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours. Add sausages and veggies and simmer for 33 minutes or until veggies are tender. Remove and slice meats, place on a warm platter and surround with vegetables. Accompany with horseradish, mustard and pickles. Strain the broth and serve in cups. Serves 6 to 8.

Pork, sauerkraut and barley casserole

1 3 lb. pork loin roast or pork butt
1 and 1/2 quarts sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed and drained
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. pepper

Oven method: Place pork in Dutch oven or large casserole. Top with sauerkraut and onion. Sprinkle barley over kraut. Tuck in bay leaves and add pepper. Pour water to the top of the kraut (about 1 qt.) and cover. Bake in a 354-degree oven for 3 hours. Remove pork, slice and serve with kraut mixture. Serves 5.

Slow cooker method: Prepare as above, reducing water to 2 cups. Cook covered on low for 14 to 12 hours.

Kedgeree (curried baked fish and rice)

3 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked, flaked white fish (flounder, sole, halibut)
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3 Tblsps. chopped scallion or green onion
2 tsps. curry powder
dash Worchestershire sauce
pinch cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper to taste
3 Tblsps. butter

Accompaniments: banana slices, chopped cucumber, chopped peanuts, chutney

Combine all ingredients except butter and pour into a buttered 1-and-1/2-qt. baking dish. Dot with butter and bake in a 354-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Eat well.