Top recipes of 2023: The dishes you savoured most from our food writers this year

Maybe it’s the return of the commute and busier working days, but slow cooking certainly had a moment this year. Lilly Higgins’s slow-cooked ham with honey and mustard aioli was a sure-fire hit, while Belfast author Nathan Anthony’s first book had to be reprinted to keep up with demand for its healthy, calorie-counted slow-cooker recipes. Marie-Claire Digby brought together some of the highlights in this article.

Slow-cooked ham with honey and mustard aioli Recipe here

You can’t beat a good takeaway dupe, and two big winners were Grainne O’Keefe’s crispy fried sweet-chilli chicken and also her quick and easy vegetable curry.

Crispy fried sweet chilli chicken. Recipe here

Orzo bake with ‘nduja

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French toast with blueberries, honey and yoghurt

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Classic eggs Benedict with thick glazed ham and hollandaise

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Quick and easy vegetable curry Recipe here

In November, just in time for Food Month, we welcomed chef and writer Mark Moriarty to the food writing team. He kicked off proceedings with two of his fail safe staples chilli con carne and rigatoni cacio e pepe:

Chilli con carne with guacamole Recipe here

Rigatoni cacio e pepe Recipe here

Mark also championed veg-forward cooking, with his column on making vegetables the star of a meal. Here are the recipes he says changed his mind about vegetables.

Roasted cabbage with quick bacon and parsley sauce, pickled shallots Recipe here

Roasted carrots in spiced butter with quinoa, salsa verde and toasted almonds Recipe here

Straightforward and crowd-pleasing supper options came in the form of Lilly’s lemony Greek chicken and potatoes and Grainne’s creamy fish pie with baby roasted carrots. Meat lovers weren’t forgotten either with Mark’s slow braised lamb shanks with red wine and rosemary. Accompaniments to a classic roast were also provided via roast dinner sides: Potato dauphinoise, broccoli gratin and horseradish sauce

Lemony Greek chicken and potatoes Recipe here

Easy creamy fish pie with baby roasted carrots Recipe here

Slow braised lamb shanks with red wine and rosemary Recipe here

Roast dinner sides: Potato dauphinoise, broccoli gratin and horseradish sauce Recipe here

Not forgetting sweet tooths, the bakes and desserts that went down a treat were Beth O’Brien’s painstakingly perfected oat breakfast scones. Grainne added a twist to a classic with her chocolate cake with whiskey and almonds, while Mark chose not to mess with perfection in his perfect tiramisu to please a crowd.

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Beth O’Brien’s oat breakfast scones Recipe here

Chocolate cake with whiskey and almonds Recipe here

Perfect tiramisu to please a crowd Recipe here