Favorite Winter Comfort Foods from Your Favorite Connecticut Chefs

By Amy S. White

As New England’s winter darkness and chilling temperatures creep back in, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as retreating to the familiar embrace of comfort food. This season is an invitation to slow down and cozy up to meals that warm our bodies and nurture our souls. Most comfort food recipes have been handed down for generations. They involve more preparation and effort than the lighter foods of summer. They take time to cook. They are more than just fuel; they are rituals of memory, tradition and mindfulness. Several chefs share their unique versions of favorite comfort food recipes: pot pie, but with a Connecticut twist; an elevated Nana’s meatloaf; shepherd’s pie the British way; porchetta made with pork belly; and apple crisp for dessert. Preheat the oven and light a fire in the fireplace; if you don’t have one, turn on the TV to that fireplace channel. And, above all, indulge. It just might make your winter feel a little bit cozier, one comforting bite at a time.

Connecticut Shoreline Chowder Pot Pie

Recipe courtesy of Chef Chantee Fraser, Sweetz Visionz Personal Chef Services

Servings: 2

Chef Chantee Fraser is a seasoned chef with over a decade of experience in high-end kitchens and as a personal chef. With her Guyanese heritage, she brings a blend of flavors and cultural influence to her cooking, creating approachable, seasonal recipes that home cooks can make with confidence. Her philosophy is that great food should be flavorful, beautiful and achievable—without overwhelming the cook. In her business Sweetz Visionz Personal Chef Services, she offers personal chef services, cooking classes and recipe development focused on seasonal, fresh ingredients. Infused with her Guyanese roots, her work celebrates vibrant flavors, bold spices and accessible techniques, making every meal a memorable experience. Her recipe is for Connecticut Shoreline Chowder Pot Pie, a comfort food favorite that highlights our state’s bounty of seafood.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
½ small onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
½ carrot, diced
1 small potato, peeled and diced
1 cup seafood or chicken stock
½ cup milk or light cream
½ can chopped clams (about 3 ounces)
4 ounces white fish (cod, haddock, or pollock), cut into small pieces
½ cup frozen corn or peas
½ teaspoon dried thyme (or a pinch if using fresh)
1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry (thawed)
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

For the filling:
- In a small skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onion, celery and carrot until soft. Add the potato and stock, then simmer 8-10 minutes until tender. Stir in the milk, clams (with juice), fish, corn/peas and thyme. Cook gently until fish is opaque, around 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble and bake:
- Spoon the filling into two small oven-safe bowls or ramekins. Top with the puff pastry, pressing the edges lightly, then brush with the egg. Cut a small slit for steam. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden.

Tip: For extra Connecticut flavor, add a small splash of sherry or fold in crumbled smoked bacon.

Shepherd’s Pie

Scott Riley, owner of Cambridge House Brew Pub in Granby, focuses on the history and his recipe for the classic comfort food known as shepherd’s pie. He explains that it originated in the United Kingdom with the lamb version named shepherd’s pie and the beef version called cottage pie. Historically, cottagers had access to beef while shepherds obviously had easier access to lamb. As a result, each had their own unique dish with its own unique name. At the Cambridge House Brew Pub, they make it with tender lamb shank chunks, colorful vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes which are cooked on the stovetop and finished under the broiler for a melt-in-your-mouth experience meat and potatoes fans will adore. This comforting dish is ready in just over an hour, and it’s perfect for chilly weather and a warming fire. He also adds that home cooks should not be daunted by the long list of ingredients; they should keep in mind that this one recipe includes entrée, veggies and potatoes all in one hearty meal.

Lamb Shank Shepherd’s Pie with Red Wine Gravy

Recipe courtesy of Scott Riley, owner of Cambridge House Brew Pub, Granby

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 lamb shanks (¾-1 pound each)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cooking oil
½ cup water
1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1½ cups carrots, diced
¾ cup onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine
4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons tarragon
¼ cup heavy cream
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

Directions:

Note: Shepherd’s pie is basically a casserole with two layers: a layer of lamb stew and a layer of mashed potatoes. Each must be prepared separately, then assembled.

First, marinate the lamb by mixing the Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper together, and drizzling that mixture over the lamb shanks. Let the lamb marinate while you chop the vegetables. Sprinkle the lamb shanks with an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt and brown them in a Dutch oven on all sides. Pour in the remaining marinade, cooking oil and water. Cover the Dutch oven and cook over low heat until the lamb reaches a temperature of 200°F, about 30 minutes. Remove the shanks and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, cover the potatoes with water and ¼ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, cooking them until they are fork tender. Remove the meat from the shank bone, cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside. If any marrow remains in the bone, scrape it out and add it back to the Dutch oven. Add the chopped onions and sliced carrots to the Dutch oven with another ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook them until they are almost cooked through, then add the garlic and cook one more minute. Remove the vegetables to a mixing bowl and set aside.
Add the red wine to the Dutch oven and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add two tablespoons of butter, swirl to melt and then whisk in the flour. Cook two to three minutes, whisking until smooth. Lower the heat and simmer to thicken. Add the lamb, carrots and onions pieces back into the Dutch oven with the gravy while gently stirring in the tarragon and peas. Add any additional salt and pepper to taste. Keep the stew mixture warm over low heat and preheat the broiler. Mash the cooked potatoes with a hand masher or mixer. Add the heavy cream, and remaining two tablespoons butter, combine well then add salt and pepper to taste. Gently heat the mashed potatoes to evaporate excess water, but not too much. Transfer the vegetable and meat mixture to a casserole dish then spread the potatoes in an even layer on top, smoothing them out as best as you can or create a fun design. Broil the shepherd’s pie, uncovered, until the potatoes turn golden brown, rotating the dish to cook evenly. Allow the dish to rest for a few minutes to cool slightly and allow the gravy to thicken.

Porchetta

Dave Emmons has been working in professional kitchens for over three decades. After getting his start in Nevada casinos in 1991, he went to culinary school in Austin, Texas, graduating in 1995 and spending 18 years honing his craft in the city’s top fine dining restaurants. In 2011, he relocated to New England and launched the Lucky Taco food truck, which became a local favorite in Hartford, earning the title of Best Food Truck for three years in a row. A brick-and-mortar Lucky Taco followed in Manchester, which was open from 2014 until 2022. Now, Emmons is preparing to debut his newest venture, an old-school sandwich shop, opening soon in Wethersfield. Focused on products sourced from local farms and purveyors, the shop reflects his passion for scratch cooking, regional flavors and community-driven dining. For now, he shares with us his comfort food favorite: pork belly porchetta with gremolata.

Pork Belly Porchetta with Gremolata

Recipe courtesy of Chef David Emmons

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

3 pound pork belly, bone out, with loin attached (a good butcher or Italian market would have this)
2 sprigs rosemary
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon fennel pollen or toasted ground fennel seed
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
½ bunch parsley, stems removed and chopped
1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Directions:

Lay the pork belly out flat, trim to an even rectangle and open the loin up by butterflying it. Score the pork belly in a crisscross pattern. In a bowl, mix together the rosemary, lemon zest, fennel pollen, chili flakes, chopped parsley and salt. Rub the herb and spice mix into the meat. Close the loin up and roll the belly into a cylinder. Score the skin on the top in a criss-cross pattern. Truss the roast with butcher twine starting in the middle and working outwards to the ends, tying tightly as there will be some expansion in the oven. Place the pork on a sheet pan with a rack and dry in the refrigerator for 24 hours (this will make the skin super crispy when cooked). When it is time to cook it, first take it out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature (about an hour). In the meantime, preheat oven to 445°F. Cook for 45 minutes or until skin is crispy and looks like amber glass. Lower the oven temp to 285°F and cook for an additional three hours or until the internal temp reaches 200°F on a meat thermometer. Remove the porchetta from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. Slice and serve topped with gremolata (see below) alongside optional sides.

Chef’s note: Emmons likes to serve his porchetta with polenta and broccoli rabe.

Gremolata:

Ingredients:

½ bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Zest of one lemon
2 cloves garlic, grated grate
Juice of ½ lemon
Kosher salt, to taste
Olive oil, to taste

Directions:

Mix together the parsley, lemon zest and garlic. Add the lemon juice and season with salt. Spread the sliced porchetta with the gremolata and drizzle with olive oil.

Apple Crisp

Chef Lindsay Penev is the executive chef at Black Rock Coffeehouse and Kitchen in Fairfield. When she thinks of comfort food, she is thinking of rustic, aromatic foods that have both nutritional and soothing properties. Her Fairfield County apple crisp, which she calls her heart on a plate, fits the bill perfectly. Having grown up surrounded by apple orchards, she says baking those local apples with cinnamon and brown sugar isn’t just about dessert, but about celebrating the state we call home, family dinners with warm plates passed around the table, the smell of baked apples filling the air and the comfort of knowing you belong.

Fairfield County Apple Crisp

Recipe courtesy of Chef Lindsay Penev, Black Rock Coffeehouse and Kitchen, Fairfield

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

For the filling:

6-7 medium apples (about 2½ pounds), preferably a mix of Honeycrisp, McIntosh and Cortland from Fairfield County
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt

For the topping:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Prepare the apples by peeling, coring and then slicing them into ¼-inch wedges. Toss the apples with the lemon juice, sugars, flour, spices and salt until they are evenly coated. Spread the apple mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. In a large bowl, mix the oats, flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt. Cut in the cold butter one cube at a time until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, about the size of peas. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Bake on a center rack uncovered for 45-50 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Cool slightly before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Chef’s notes: Apple variety matters!

Fairfield County’s local orchards often have Honeycrisp, McIntosh and Cortland varieties, which hold up beautifully when baked. The mix creates a balance of sweetness, tartness and texture.

This recipe can be made ahead by assembling the filling separately from the topping the night before, then refrigerate and bake when ready. Stir in ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the topping for a nutty twist.

Favorite Winter Comfort Foods from Your Favorite Connecticut Chefs