And so here is week 2 of Noice-ities (a.k.a nice titties) on That’s Noice where we’re sharing our favourite winter recipes.

Now I could go on about the noice things we have in winter – soup, curries, potato/tuna bakes… but, technically Dan makes those, not me.

My favourite winter recipe, though, hands-down, is corned beef. You know, that “poverty food”. Not that I knew it was a meat popular with families strapped for cash, but it was our special treat when I was growing up (apart from having picnic dinners on the loungeroom floor every Thursday night).

I hadn’t made corned beef myself until last year when it was featured in Donna Hay magazine… and I have to confess, I cried when I sat down to eat it. The only other time I’ve done that is for pavlova, so obviously corned beef is pretty damn spesh.

Donna Hay’s Corned Beef (serves 6)

• 1.5kg corned silverside or brisket
• 3 bay leaves
• 12 peppercorns
• 6 cloves
• â…“ cup (80ml) malt vinegar
• ½ cup (90g) brown sugar
• 6 pickling onions
• 1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed and peeled

Place the beef in a large, heavy-based deep saucepan. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, vinegar, sugar, onions and enough water to cover. Place over high heat and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes or when the beef is firm to the touch. Add the carrots in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Use a slotted spoon to occasionally skim the foam from the surface.

Corned beef isn’t really corned beef unless it’s teamed up with a nice white (bechamel) sauce, something like this one from Taste.

Come over to That’s Noice and join us for Noice-ities!