There’s a moment in late autumn when the county exhales. Frost threads the hedgerows, the Downs wear their quietest colours and kitchens across Sussex tuck into the comfort of slow-cooked, big-hearted food.
Steve Toward is founder and chef at Stoves Dining which brings fine dining and the art of Michelin-star experiences into your home. Steve lights up when the winter produce rolls in: roots with real character, robust brassicas and seafood from our coast. Sussex Exclusive caught up with him to find out more about his winter secrets and how to create dishes from them that are bursting with flavour.
“Winter veg has depth,” Steve says. “It’s been in the sun all year, then the frost comes and the sugars tighten. Keep it simple and let the flavour speak. Winter is also generous,” he adds. “You don’t need to overwork winter veg. Buy well, cook gently and let the season do the talking.”
Steve’s four winter heroes (and exactly what to do with them)
1) The not-so-humble carrot
Steve’s carrot tip is deceptively simple and completely transformative: cook carrots in carrot juice.
“Use a good, fresh juice, not one mixed with apple. Add a star anise, a knob of butter and a pinch of sugar. Simmer until just tender, lift the carrots out to keep warm, then boil the liquor to a glossy glaze. Fish out the star anise, toss the carrots back in, finish with a whisper of parsley and seasoning. That’s it. Carrot flavour, turned up to eleven.”
Why it works: cooking in juice intensifies carrot-on-carrot sweetness without masking it, and the star anise adds a subtle warmth that feels tailor-made for December plates.
2) Cavolo nero (with a clearing-your-head kick)
Cavolo nero is an Italian black cabbage now happily grown across the UK and it’s also Steve’s winter saviour.
“Shred it, sweat it gently in olive oil, season and finish with freshly grated horseradish. It’s brilliant with roast meats, sausages or a fillet of white fish. Horseradish gives you that big first hit and then it’s gone, all warmth, no burn. Perfect winter food and perfect if you’re fighting a cold.”
Cook’s note: strip out the central rib on larger leaves for tenderness; the smaller, darker leaves need just a few minutes.
3) Salsify (the chef’s secret)
If you spot it at a farm shop or market, grab it.
“It’s thin, long, almost black on the outside, beautifully delicate within and a little oyster-like in flavour. Peel it into lemon water (it discolours fast), cut into short lengths and parboil in lightly salted, lemony water. Refresh, then pan-roast in butter. It’s dreamy with turbot or sea bass, or alongside roast chicken.”
Tip: ask your greengrocer to source it if it isn’t on the shelf; it’s worth the hunt.
4) Jerusalem artichokes (soup you’ll make on repeat)
They may look knobbly and a nightmare to peel, but that’s why Steve doesn’t.
“Scrub them well and make a chicken & Jerusalem artichoke soup. You keep every bit of flavour that way. The result is silky, earthy, comforting, proper winter balm.”.
Think: a light chicken stock base, artichokes simmered until soft, blitzed smooth with a splash of cream or good olive oil, finished with lemon and black pepper.
Why it works: you avoid waste, and you keep that distinct, nutty perfume that makes artichokes so moreish.
Sussex on a plate: Steve’s local loves
The coast that feeds us
For Steve, Sussex cooking starts at the shoreline.
“We’re an island, but we don’t eat enough fish. But freshness is everything: a good fish smells faintly of the sea, never ‘fishy’. Buy from reputable fishmongers and support the fleets, especially the beach-launched boats at Hastings. If we don’t buy local, we lose the knowledge and the boats.”
His understated hero fish? Mackerel.
“Cheap as chips, and so underrated. Grill it hot and fast, add a squeeze of lemon and maybe a fennel or horseradish salad on the side. That’s Sussex to me.”
He also champions brown crab (“sweet, honest flavour”) and line-caught bass when in season, proof that simple, local and impeccably fresh outclasses anything fussed-over.
How to shop and cook like Steve this winter
- Buy what’s truly seasonal. Roots, brassicas, hardy greens. They’ve done the work for you.
- Use one star note. A single spice (star anise), a grating of horseradish or lemon. It’s winter; let clarity lead.
- Cook in ‘self-stock’. Carrots in carrot juice; beetroot in beet juice. Intensify, don’t dilute.
- Respect the coast. Ask for local mackerel, bass and crab; sniff test for freshness; support independent fishmongers and fleets.
- Keep the finish clean. A glaze, a good oil, crisp sea salt: flavour without clutter.
60-second recipe: Glazed Carrots with Star Anise
- In a wide pan, add carrot juice to come halfway up evenly cut carrots.
- Add 1 star anise, a small knob of butter, a pinch of sugar and salt.
- Simmer until just tender. Lift carrots to a warm plate.
- Boil juices to a syrupy glaze; remove star anise.
- Return carrots, toss to coat, finish with chopped parsley and black pepper.
Serve with roast chicken, grilled mackerel, or a slab of nutty Sussex cheese.
Try it together: a simple Sussex winter supper
- Starter: Chicken & Jerusalem artichoke soup, lemon & chive.
- Main: Grilled mackerel, cavolo nero with fresh horseradish, glazed carrots.
- Cheese course: A wedge of local Sussex, think Traditional Cheese Dairy’s soft cheese with apple and rye.
- Glass: Something sparkling and Sussex, naturally.
You can find out more about Steve, at: https://stovesdining.co.uk/
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